ZAGR: The New Queen
by mistytales1303
Summary: When Zim and Gaz finally start dating in high school, the outcome is a shock. only ZAGR, nothing else. The ending only MIGHT be a shock to some people. XD Invader Zim belongs to its rightful owners, I'm simply a fan :3
1. It Begins

**Ch. 1: It Begins**

She was terrifying. The scariest girl in the school. Everyone feared her. And now that she was fourteen, and a freshman in High Skool, even her teachers had learned to fear her.

Gaz.

She still had purple hair, and it was still short. A little shorter even. It also didn't stick out before her face anymore. Instead it was just between her ears and her shoulders. Large locks of hair were separated, and framed her face from behind her ears quite nicely. Her bangs were separated into large locks as well. Her amber eyes were closed and yet she was still able to see. As always she'd be sitting in class and playing her Game Slave. The newest edition. Along with the newest game of her Vampire Piggys. The one she was playing currently was the forth in its saga.

She was in the back of her homeroom. Like always, she'd be there half the day, have lunch, then gym, and then spend the remainder of the day in another teacher's classroom. It had been seven months since she began her freshman year. she could still remember it, too. Probably because that was also the day she had her reputation as the girl who was badass enough to beat up Jim.

~(*)~

Gaz had left Dib behind at home, not needing anybody to walk with her to school anymore. They may have been able to walk home, and oh did Gaz wish she could've walked that day, but the bus that would take them to school had already started rolling up the street. And Gaz took that moment to rethink her plan. She waited for the bus, a bad idea. Dib ran out of the house just as the bus was pulling up to their house.

"Gaz! Why didn't you come get me?" he asked as they boarded.

"I'm concentrating, Dib," Gaz said. She sat down in an empty seat at the front of the bus. She was thankful that she had the game to block out Dib's latest plans to expose Zim. She thought Zim would've at least done something to cripple humanity enough by now. But Dib was doing a good job. To Gaz's disappointment. She'd never really admit it, but she wanted the same thing Zim seemed to want. For the destruction of the human race to be at her own hand.

When she was able to reach a save point in the game she saved and shut the game off. the bus stopped in front of the school and she and Dib got off. Gaz ignored him as they separated in the halls to go to their homeroom. She took out her schedule, and looked down at it as she made her way through the halls. Not too far in she already bumped into a cheerleader who was standing in the middle of the hall like an idiot.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, freshman!" she said snidely.

"Bite me," Gaz said. And tried to walk around her. The girl stepped in front of her.

"Not until you say you're sorry," she said. Gaz growled. And glared up at the cheerleader with one of her death glares.

"That freshman bother you, Mare?" a boy said. "Mare" looked behind her and then back at Gaz, a smile on her face.

"Jiiiiim," she whined. "This freshman is being mean to me. Make her stop?" she asked. "Jim", was a big man. His face was kinda scared and he had a black eye. Gaz had heard that someone had been in a car accident no more than a week before.

"No problem, doll," he said. Gaz leaned on one leg, setting her arm on her hip.

"Woah, what happened to you, scar-face?" she asked. Jim growled and grabbed her by the shoulders. He lifted her in the air easily and moved over to a nearby trashcan farther down the hall. Some students were telling him to dump her in, and others were either too scared to say anything, or were telling him he was being and jerk.

"What are you...?" Gaz looked down when he stopped. She glared at him fiercely. "Not in this lifetime, scar-face!"

Gaz stuck her feet on both sides of the can when Jim tried to push her down. Mare was yelling at him to just shove her in. Gaz growled loud enough for the other kids to hear her. When Jim lifted her up again to try a second time, she kicked him in the jaw. he let her go and stumbled back. Gaz landed on the can, with her feet in their last places. She jumped off it, off the wall behind her, and turned in the air as she kicked Jim again in the face. Some kids flinched and other started to cheer for Gaz. When Gaz landed, Jim made for a swing to her and she easily jumped out of the way. He swung at her three more times. And each time she dodged. She felt her back hit the wall and ducked as Jim swung at her again.

Jim took in a hissing breath after his fist hit the wall. Gaz went under and head-butted him in the gut. He fell back like a ton of bricks. When he tried to get up, Gaz set her foot on his chest. Near his neck.

"Now..." she said. "What are you going to say?"

"..."

"Well?"

"Get off," Jim said. Gaz narrowed her eyes and let her foot slip closers to his throat.

"Hey! Get off him!" Mare said. Gaz shot her a deadly glare out of the corner of her eye. Mare made an 'eep!' sound and backed off.

"Say it," Gaz ordered. Jim grimaced.

"I'm... sorry," he forced himself to choke out.

"Good. Mess with me again and I won't so easy on you. And you'll be plummeted into a world pain and suffering from which the only escape is by my hand," Gaz threatened. She stepped off of Jim and picked up her schedule. Walking off to her first class, Game Slave in hand.

~(*)~

Gaz sighed. That had been the only day she didn't absolutely hate the school. And Dib was already causing her to be near her breaking point with her patience with him. She was about ready to strangle him, and Zim. She didn't hate Zim, no. But it was starting to get harder to tolerate him. She knew the destruction of the human race was, in fact, a similar goal to them both. Gaz just simply hated humanity. Zim... he wanted to control Earth for his 'Tallest'. Gaz had only seen them but once before, maybe more times than that, she wasn't sure. But she didn't care that much. They were just taller than everyone else on their planet, they weren't very bright for leaders of a whole Empire as big as the Irkens'.

Gaz heard the chime of the intercom. She reached a save point after the daily announcements and calmly shut off her game. Her relatively good mood didn't last long.

"W-would a m-miss Gaz p-please come to the p-principal's office?"

Gaz growled. She grabbed her pencil and cleanly snapped it in half. She wasn't in the mood to deal with this. Her classmates scooted to the edges of their seats as she gathered her things and left the room. She scowled the entire way down to the office and as she walked into the lobby. When she turned to the secretary she pointed to the office as she cowered behind her desk. Gaz didn't need to know. She already knew the way. The secretary was simply trying to get her to move along faster without trying to invoke her wrath. Gaz didn't blame her. Part of the fear she installed to the other students and teachers was due to her attire of choice. Which every teacher, and the secretary dismissed.

Gaz wore a black shirt that was more like a long dress that reached to her mid-thighs with long sleeves and skull and bone designs on the front, black pants with red stitching and chains (which weren't allowed by school rules because chains were considered weapons. But they all dismissed them because they didn't want to risk receiving the blunt end of those weapons), and boots that had small rhinestone skulls and bones running down the sides. Gaz had modified them herself. They used to be just ordinary black combat boots before she got her hands on them.

She pushed open the principal's door and stepped inside. Dib and Zim, who had been arguing before, stopped as she barged in. You were suppose to knock. But she had had a feeling it would've had something to do with Dib. Dib's hair was still the same, and so was his glasses and attire. Zim was in his usual Irken uniform, and even his disguise was the same. He had had the fortune of growing while on Earth. But he was still stuck being about two inches shorter than Dib. The principal was at his desk, waiting for Gaz. She pulled up a chair and sat down between the two, who she forced into their seats.

"What was it this time?" she asked. Really not in the mood to deal with it right then. The day hadn't been going well for her.

"The Dib-thing attacked me!" Zim shouted.

"I did not!" Dib shouted. His voice still as annoying to Gaz as ever. Both of them annoyed her. Although both of their voices weren't as high-pitched as they used to be. "I was just trying to prove what he really was!"

Gaz punched them both in the face to shut them up. The principal allowed this, though. He had wanted them to shut up, too.

"Gaz?" he asked. Gaz sighed heavily.

"Please forgive them, sir. My brother was simply being an idiot again and Zim was merely trying to defend himself," Gaz said as calmly as she could manage. The principal tapped his fingers on the desk.

"...Alright. But they'll have to attend detention together for breaking that lunch table," he said. Gaz opened one eye, but he didn't elaborate. "And Gaz... you'll be joining them."

"What? Why?" she shouted. Outside, the secretary flinched.

"Because of what you did to that poor kid this morning," he explained. Gaz paused. And then nodded her head in agreement. Even she agreed that she had to have detention for THAT. She smirked. But quickly wiped it off her face. "You'll all be serving about a week of detention. Is that understood?"

"Yes," they all said.

"Good. Now, Since school is being let out early in about ten minutes... I suppose you can all wait in the detention room now if you want. I will allow you to get back to your lockers to get something for the lunch you missed, and then report to room 26D. If you're not there within five minutes, I'll have to call your parents."

Zim made his own sound of fear silently. He had dismantled his robot parents years before; and couldn't afford to have that secret found out. When the principal dismissed them, Zim made sure he was the first into the room. Dib and Gaz came in after him. The teacher didn't look up from his magazine, and just told them to take a seat wherever they liked. After he phoned them in and the bell rang, it seemed like they were the only ones who would be in that room. Gaz had been there before because of Jim. And she knew that the detention teacher left after about ten minutes to watch TV in the teachers' lounge. He was usually gone all the three hours. Gaz had left after waiting twenty minutes and didn't hear about it the next day.  
They all sat in the back of the room. Gaz had to sit between the two again. As she and Dib ate their lunch, the teacher left without saying a word or even looking up. Once the door shut, Dib started to glare at Zim. Who wasn't eating anything.

"You know, it's not very HUMAN to never eat anything during lunch," Dib said. Gaz sighed and bowed her head. Zim turned his head away from Dib.

It was going to be a long detention session.


	2. First Kiss

**Ch. 2: First Kiss**

Gaz mentally sighed as the time ticked by. She could have been anywhere but there. And she would be, if it weren't for Dib and Zim. She took out her Game Slave and started playing. Zim was starting to tap his fingers on his desk, wondering what show Gir was watching. Zim did find comfort in knowing that the house computer would keep him in track, and keep the house safe.

Dib was even starting to get bored, despite the fact that the alien he was still trying to show was inhuman to his classmates was sitting just beyond his sister. It had only been half an hour. An hour and a half still remained before they were able to leave. Gaz looked at Zim out of the corner of her eyes and started to think about something Dib had said. She waited until Dib felt it was safe enough to put his MP3 player on and let the music fill his ears.

"Why DON'T you eat anything?" Gaz asked. Zim looked at her.

"Hm?" he asked.

"I've NEVER seen you eat anything. Not a thing. What? Irkens don't eat or something?" Gaz asked. Saving her game and shutting it off.

"I eat in the morning, and then when I return home. I'm am simply not hungry durning the schoool hours," Zim said. Gaz raised an eyebrow.

"Handy," she said. Zim didn't respond. Gaz started feeling weird sitting so close to him. She squirmed a bit in her seat and held back a sigh. "Why do you always wear the pak?"

"It's useful. All Irkens wear them, all the time," Zim said.

"That's dumb."

"They hold a lot of important information!"

"So? They're so small."

"Size doesn't matter when it comes to the pak. It's very complicated technology."

"Like your base? It looked complicated, but I bet I could figure it out," Gaz said. Zim glared at her.

"Doubtful," Zim said. It was Gaz's turn to glare. She took out her ipod and listened to music until the end of the detention session. When the teacher came in and said they could go, Gaz took out her headphones and set the ipod on the desk after rolling the cord around the ipod, and left if there as she gathered her things.

She and Dib left without a word to Zim. Dib had glared at Zim as they left, and the teacher left the room as they neared. Zim sighed and looked over to where Gaz had sat. She had left her ipod.

'She left it,' Zim thought. He picked up the ipod and put it in his pack. He looked out the window, the car that always picked Dib and Gaz up that their father sent was already pulling away. Zim pondered whether Gaz would figure out he had picked it up, and then had a thought. 'Maybe I can use this to my advantage...'

It was night when Gaz headed up to her room for that night. It was only eight, but she was used to listening to the music on her ipod for two hours at least before falling asleep. When Gaz searched her pockets and then her back pack and didn't find her ipod; she realized she had left if behind. Gaz cursed and stomped down the stairs. Not even in her pjs yet.

"What's up?" Dib asked, watching Mysterious Mysteries on the flat screen in their living room.

"I forgot something at the school. I'll be back later. Tell dad where I am if he somehow makes if back before me," Gaz said. Dib agreed, like their dad would be home. He was at work, he was always at work, it seemed.

Gaz walked angrily down the streets, her feet taking her subconsciously to Zim's house. When she neared it, she noticed that it was glowing slightly like it always did. Most of the house was made up of the living room, but she had noticed when she had entered it as a child that there was also the kitchen. She knew for a fact there was more to it underground, much more. and some in the attic. She didn't quite get why Zim had chosen that design, he had crappy drawing skills, maybe. She couldn't be sure. But she did know he had her ipod. It had been wise not to tell Dib where she had really been going, he'd have freaked.

Gaz walked up to the front door. The gnomes didn't move, they didn't even turn. Was he expecting her? Probably. He may have acted like an idiot sometimes but she knew he had to be smart to run the base and use the Irken tech. Not to mention the spaceships. But then again, she could operate those too. But she was smarter than most humans. Her teachers had often suggested bumping her up a few grades, into college. Despite the fact she was still just a freshman. She had always refused. She couldn't leave Dib and Zim fighting without someone who knew them as much as she did, they'd probably destroy the city.

Gaz sighed and partially turned from the door as she inched her hand to the doorbell. She groaned as she actually creaked an eye open to see her own finger press the bell. She took it off almost immediately, hearing the dull bell ring throughout the house. She figured she should have just busted in like she used to, but she wasn't peeved enough. Her foot started tapping as she waited. Zim must have been in the deeper part of the base. Three minutes passed before the door opened. Gaz turned and saw Zim in his disguise, looking at her.

Gaz fought a blush. This was the first time she had seen him in that lighting. He looked... handsome. Gir was even in his dog outfit. Gaz glared down at him as he started to get loud, he shut up and skipped to the kitchen.

"That uniform you wear is kinda stupid," she said. It was the only thing she could think of. Gaz slapped herself in the face mentally. 'IDIOT!' she thought.

"Says the grumpy Goth," Zim said. Gaz looked up at him, she had heard some kind of happiness in his voice.

"Whatever," she said, pushing him aside. She walked four steps before she heard Zim shut the door. She turned swiftly and saw Zim leaning against it, his head bowed. Gaz held her fists to her side. Zim tilted his head just enough to look at her.

"Don't think I can't fight my way out," she said. "I just want the ipod."

"...You can calm down. I'm not planning on capturing you," Zim said. He stood straight and started to walk past her as she relaxed. He paused for a second beside her. "Not anymore," he said. And then quickly kept walking. Gaz stared after him. And slowly inched toward the door. But Zim had only gone into the kitchen. He came back out and tossed the ipod to Gaz. She caught it and looked at it. A tiny Irken symbol was on the back. Gaz turned in her hands, examining it. Nothing else was different except for a small lens on the top.

"What'd you do to it?" she asked.

"Improved it. It keeps a charge longer, holds more songs... has a small laser," Zim mumbled.

"Laser? What kind?"

"I couldn't help it. I'm a weapons expert. It's only a small caliber. Couldn't do more than leave a second degree burn on someone."

"Oh. Bummer. ...what else?"

"Nothing else."

"Liar," Gaz said. But she pocketed the ipod anyway. She'd check it out at the house. She had looked into it with her father's special X-ray machine before, curious as to how it looked on the inside. If there was something other than the laser, she'd know.

"Fine, don't take my word for it," Zim said, and crossed his arms. Gaz shifted her weight on either leg for some time as the silence grew. Gir had disappeared, and there was nothing in the background to cause much sound.

"... ...Thank you," Gaz managed out. She wouldn't look at him. She didn't hear Zim speak, but did hear him get closer. She figured he'd get closer to the door to show her out... or kick her out was most likely. Instead, he stopped in front of her. Gaz looked up. She saw the red of his shirt. She slowly glanced up. Zim was just looking down at her, smiling with his eyes partially closed. "...What?" Gaz asked, irritated.

"Your eyes," he said.

"What about them?" Gaz asked, making a move to put some distance between them. Zim lightly grabbed her wrist.

"They're... nice," he said. Gaz blushed, and looked down so he wouldn't see. When she felt it leave she looked back up.

"They're only amber. Basically just a really light brown," she said, still a little flustered.

"You're blushing," Zim said. Gaz glared at him. "You're too pale to hide it."

"Shut up," she said. Zim sounded like he chuckled and took a step toward her, leaving only enough distance to let a very small magazine rest between them. Gaz stood frozen, her heart was thudding against her ribs. She was having trouble breathing. She'd never been so close to someone unless she was beating them. But this was different.

"You know... we aren't so different. Aside from the difference in species, anyway," she heard Zim whisper. Gaz grumbled in response, unable to make any other sound. "Have you ever thought of... doing more than just beating up other humans?"

"O-ofcourse. They're all stupid. Hell with 'em," Gaz said. Whispering the last part out of spite. Zim's smile grew, but Gaz didn't see.

"Think you can really use Irk tech?" he asked. Gaz's head shot up. But she never did figure out for herself whether or not she thought that was ever a mistake. Personally, she always leaned more toward something she'd always be thankful for.

Gaz's lips touched Zim's. His eyes were closed, and Gaz closed hers shortly after. Enjoying the feeling swelling in her chest. Zim lightly wrapped his arms around her petite waist, and Gaz gently rested the tips of her fingers and palms on his chest.


	3. Back To Detention

**Ch. 3: Back to Detention**

Dib looked at Gaz as she opened the door. Her head bowed as she looked at her feet. Dib raised an eyebrow as she shut the door behind her and made her way to the stairs.

"Gaz? You okay?" he asked. Setting one elbow on the back of the couch.

"Tired. Wake me up and I'll end you," she said as she forced her wobbly legs to march her up to her room. She'd made it home, she could stand one last stretch up the stairs and to her bed.

"Geez, fine," Dib said. Returning to his show.

Gaz leaned against her bedroom door after she shut it behind her. She subconsciously kicked off her boots, changed into her night clothes, and fell onto her bed. She had up her ipod, and then set it down beside her bed. She couldn't think straight. 'I... I just... did I really just kiss... Zim? Zim? Seriously... I... didn't think I liked him like that. Didn't think he like ME like that... Dib'll freak. ...- him, he can go to hell,' Gaz thought.

She was still dazed after leaving Zim's house. Promising to meet him early at the school the next day for their Saturday detentions. They started at three. Gaz stared at the clock. It was a ten minute walk to the school, twenty to Zim's. She'd been gone nearly forty minutes. Hadn't Dib worried? Probably not. The school would have been dark, she would have had to have broken in somehow, found her ipod and then sneak out as quietly and as slowly as she could.

'Makes sense he'd think it'd take that long,' she thought. Gaz sighed and actually smiled as she drifted to sleep.

~(*)~

That morning she woke up to Dib knocking on her door.

"Go away, asshole," she said sleepily.

"Gaz! It's already noon, have you been sleeping all this time?" Dib shouted through the door. He knew better than to walk in uninvited.

"At least let me sleep until three," she said.

"No! I want to show you my new plan on getting Zim!" Dib shouted. Gaz's eyes snapped open and she quickly got up. She put on her boots. Then opened her door and greeted Dib with a glaring frown.

"What?" she asked. Dib held up a weird looking gun. Gaz took it.

"I'm going to use it to knock him unconscious. I'm planning on aiming it at his pak," Dib said. Gaz looked at him and then dropped the gun. "Hey!" Dib said, bending down for it. Gaz stomped on it with her foot and smashed it to pieces. When she was done and had taken her foot off the gun, it was basically rubbish laying on the carpet. Dib scooped it up and looked at Gaz. Asking her why.

"You've already ruined the next two weeks for me, you're not going to make them any worse, you understand?" Gaz asked. Dib nodded and Gaz slammed her bedroom door on him. She looked at the time. It was 12:10 in the afternoon. Gaz grumbled as she went to her closet.

The shades to her room were shut, and it was dark. Most of her room's colors were different hues of dark purple, blue, and a few different shades of black. There were even a few browns and dark reds. Her wardrobe was Goth, of course it was. She had always been Goth-ish. Since she was a kid. 'What to wear, what to wear?' Gaz thought to herself. 'What would Zim like? ...Wait a second. What did I just think?'

Gaz growled at herself. First she kisses an alien, and now she's wondering what he'd like to see her in? 'Damn it.'

She grabbed an outfit she'd bought but never wore. The top was short sleeved, Gaz had cut the long sleeves short herself. Four large skulls and dozens of smaller ones floated throughout the dark colored mist that was surrounding them. The shirt was a dark navy blue, and the skirt she had with it was black jeans. The stockings were striped black and a dark purple. With the design of at least three webs that were visible on them. Gaz set the outfit on the back of the chair that was before her computer, and left to take a shower.

When she came back, she changed into the outfit she'd picked and looked through her jewelry box. She chose a necklace that had skulls intertwined within the chain. It was a choker necklace. She put it on and adjusted it so that it wouldn't actually choke her, loosening it a little and then picking up the matching skull earrings. She straightened out the skirt and turned to look in the mirror. It seemed to fit nicely. Gaz remembered that there was football practice at the school that was suppose to be going on by the time she, Dib, and Zim would get there for detention. She sighed and looked at the floor of her closet for some shoes. She spotted a pair of boots with flat heels. They were smooth and leather-like, with a zipper up the side. A black rose was embroidered on the front. She checked the time, 12:50. She sighed and left her room.

Dib was in his room, she could hear him working. She went back to her room and grabbed her diary. She had started writing it in Russian after she had caught Dib reading it one day. She had beaten him, and then learned how to write Russian. She opened it and started writing. First about how it was mostly Dib's fault she was stuck with him in detention for the next two weeks, then about what had happened the night before. She heard Dib come out of his room and checked her watch. It was time to go. She grabbed her backpack and they started out the door. Dib didn't carry anything, and Gaz could see that he must have not been able to fix the new machine of his in time and hadn't been able to bring it.

'Serves him right...' she thought. She saw Zim waiting in the doorway and her heart fluttered. She suddenly flashed back to last night and wished Dib wasn't there. She noticed him scowl when he saw Zim and she elbowed him in the ribs.

"Ow! WHAT THE HELL, GAZ?" he asked. Gaz was suddenly grateful for the fact she had a reason.

"I told you earlier you weren't going to ruin this more than you already have," she said. And that was enough to shut Dib up. He was on Gaz's left, and Zim pushed himself off the wall and walked on her right to the detention room. They had twenty minutes left, but Gaz didn't care.

Until she saw Jim and his friends walking down the hall toward them. And the detention room was behind them.


	4. The Rematch

**Ch. 4: The Rematch**

Gaz groaned as they got closer to Jim and the rest of the team. Jim looked up and saw Gaz with her brother and Zim. He seemed to smile, but the scars on his face had contorted since she had last seen him in the first half of the school year. He had also gotten into a motorcycle accident earlier that same year.

Gaz knew Dib had found out what she had done her first day to Jim, but she hadn't gotten in trouble because so many kids had agreed it had been in self defense. Instead Jim had been the one to get detention, and Gaz knew he wanted revenge because of how she humiliated him. And how she had kicked his ass in front of everyone. She swore verbally as she saw "Mare" step out from behind him to see what had made the team stop.

"Jiiiiim!" She whined. "We gotta get to practice or the coach is gonna make us run laps again!"

"You and the rest can go, babe. I see some unfinished business coming down the hall," he said. Mare looked and saw Gaz. A smile etched on her face. Gaz's eyes slit and she growled.

"Gaz?" Dib asked. Zim looked down at her out of curiosity. Then he saw Jim. He had heard what had happened that day in one of his morning classes. His eyes narrowed along with Gaz's.

About a yard and a half away the three stopped. Jim told the rest of the football team to go on ahead without him, and to tell the coach that he had stopped off at the bathroom. When Mare started to complain he told her and the rest of the cheerleaders to go with them. Mare spit her tongue out at Gaz as she passed. Gaz called her a bitch and the other cheerleaders had to hold Mare back. As she was being pulled away, Gaz also gladly gave her the finger. Mare yelled curses as the team took her out the door and to the football field.

"The two geeks leave," Jim said. Gaz turned back to him. "I wanna settle this with her alone."

"C'mon, Gaz, let's just go," Dib said.

"I don't think so," Gaz said. She took a step forward. "Gemme your best shot scar-face."

"I think I might be able to help," Zim whispered to Gaz. She looked at him in curiosity, but Dib pushed him away.

"Leave her alone, scumbag," he said.

"Me and her gonna fight or what?" Jim asked impatiently.

"Shut your yap for a minute, alright? We're talking," Gaz said. Jim's face went red.

He ran up and pushed Dib out of his way when he got in front of him and Gaz. Dib slammed against the wall, and Gaz saw his head hit one of the many announcement boards that were in the school halls. Dib slumped on the floor and didn't get back up. He was knocked out cold. Gaz dodged as Jim took a punch at her. Zim ducked and Jim's fist narrowly missed his head. Gaz punched Dib in the gut and then three times in the face. Jim staggered back a step, and then started swinging at Gaz himself.

Gaz took two punches to the face out of six and was thrown to the ground. She groaned in pain as the places she was punched throbbed in soreness and pain. Zim's spider legs shot out of his pak and he used them to lift himself up, throw himself at Jim, and tackle him to the ground. The spider legs quickly retracted to that Jim wouldn't see them. Jim grabbed Zim's pak and threw him down the hall. He skid along the floor. Gaz got up and swept Jim's feet out from under him. Jim fell with a loud thud and Gaz wondered why the teacher hadn't heard them yet.

~(*)~

The teacher listened to his ipod and read a newspaper as he waited for the three students to come in.

~(*)~

Gaz kicked Jim in the sides and the arms to keep him down for as long as she could. Zim used his spider legs again and used them to get to Gaz as quickly as possible. Just as he came up behind her and put himself back onto his feet, Jim punched Gaz in the gut and sent her flying backward into Zim. They fell on the floor and skid for about a yard before stopping. Jim limped up to them. he saw the spider legs and took a step back with a yelp.

"Dude! What kinda freaky nerd are you?" Jim asked.

"He thinks they're an invention of mine?" Zim asked Gaz quietly. She herself could barely hear him.

"I think so," she whispered hoarsely back. She tried to get up but Jim kicked her and she slumped back down. As Gaz was bent over, holding her stomach, she heard screaming from Jim. But didn't look up. She noticed that the screaming got farther away, and she heard the dragging of feet on the marble flooring. She looked up to see Jim's feet disappear behind a corner, and one of Zim's spider legs follow behind them as they carried Zim, who she assumed was carrying Jim, off down the hall.

"Be quiet!" Zim shouted at Jim. But Gaz could barely hear Jim's screaming as they sped down the all. She groaned as she got up and limped over to Dib, who was still slumped against the wall. She brushed some hair away and looked at the bump on his head. She sighed and shook him.

"...Ggnghh..." Dib grumbled. He put his hand on his head. "Ooowwwww..."

"Don't. Just don't," Gaz growled. "You might have a concussion."

"Shouldn't I go to the nurse, then?" Dib asked. He sat up and then immediately regretted it. He felt nauseated and held his mouth shut to keep from barfing. Gaz helped him get up, but secretly he was also helping her as well. They slowly made their way to the nurse's office, which was conveniently in the opposite direction Zim had gone. Dib looked around.

"Where's Zim? What'd I miss?" he asked regrettably. He knew he had missed SOMETHING. And he wondered what it was.

"He... left," Gaz said.

"Oh," Dib said suspiciously. "And what about Jim? Where's he?"

"He uh... left too," Gaz said. At Dib's questioning glance she continued, but lied. "I whooped his ass, alright?"

"Like the first day?" Dib asked. Gaz elbowed him in the ribs. He had been holding the entire possible trashcan dunking over her head since that day. Dib gasped and held his rib cage.

"We're here," she said. And deposited him in the nurse's office. The nurse looked up and her questioning eyes looked at Dib. When she saw Gaz they were still questioning, but also cautious because she had sent numerous students there since she had first started at this school as a child.

"We kinda fell down some stairs," she lied. The fact she never smiled helped her lie successfully. Dib looked at Gaz and wondered why she would lie instead of ratting Jim out as revenge. The nurse nodded and started to check their wounds and bandaged Dib's head. She finished with Gaz first. Gaz inched toward the door.

"Don't sleep for at least a day," she said. "You're lucky my father was a doctor, otherwise I'd have to send you to a hospital. You can just serve your detention here."

"How'd you know we had detention?" Dib asked.

"The principal told me you might be coming in today..." the nurse said. She quickly got back behind her desk before Gaz could do anything. She nodded to Gaz, saying she could leave. Gaz didn't say anything. She left and shut the door behind her.


	5. After the Fight

**Ch. 5: After the Fight**

As Gaz walked down the hall and saw Zim coming down on the opposite side, she saw he was wiping something red off his cheek. Gaz didn't even want to think of what that was. But deep down she knew. And for some unfathomable reason... she felt a tingle in her stomach when she saw Zim ditch the rag in a basket can and looked up at her. She saw that he was carrying his disguise. Gaz knew it was more likely that Jim had accidently torn it off in a struggle. Even his contacts were out. He stuck them back in and put on the wig.

"What'd you do?" she asked when he was close enough that she didn't have to talk too loud. She paused and started walking with him when he caught up.

"It's... best you didn't know," Zim said. Gaz opened the door to the detention room and the two sat in the back of the room. The teacher left after five minutes. Saying he was going to run some errands. Zim turned to Gaz.

"Where's your idiotic brother?" he asked.

"The nurse's office. He had a slight concussion, so the nurse made him stay behind with her," Gaz said. Zim nodded and looked out the window awkwardly.

Gaz looked him up and down. She realized something. The first kiss they had she had been so shocked that she had never remembered what Zim tasted like. His lips, anyway. She had heard numerous times about girls and boys alike talking about how their girlfriend or boyfriend's lips tasted like when they kissed. It used to make her sick to her stomach, but the curiosity was eating at her now. She turned to Zim and stood up silently. Zim was so busy looking out the window and day-dreaming that he had barely noticed and didn't bother turning his head.

Gaz came up behind him, and gently set her hand on his shoulder. At first Zim jumped, thinking he was being ambushed. Once he saw Gaz, he instantly relaxed. Gaz pushed him back so that he was leaning against the chair's back rest. The good thing about their school's desks in high school was that they had a lot of room between the desk and the chair. A lot of the students took the opportunity to sit with their legs on the desk during the last few minutes of the class hour. The teachers had even given up telling them to stop because so many were doing it.

Zim smiled slyly and Gaz sat in his lap. she figured he'd taste like something his skin color was. Like an apple, or a sour candy, or a lime. She even considered peppermint. But then she wondered if it was more like human skin was to an animal, salty. Or was he sour? She didn't know, he was an alien. Gaz partially closed her eyes and leaned in toward Zim, he leaned back. Their lips connected.

Zim hadn't tasted like a lime or a peppermint or sugar or apple or chocolate or anything else Gaz had thought. He hadn't tasted sweet, he hadn't tasted salty or sour. He had, instead, tasted like everything and anything in one kick ass exotic blend of lord only knows what. The taste wasn't NOT nice but not unpleasant either. Not like anything but like everything else and in between, even the things Gaz couldn't think of. Zim thought the same. He didn't know what any human food besides the waffles Gir managed to get him to eat tasted like, and he knew one thing from the last kiss he had given Gaz. She tasted nothing like them. She was better.

To Zim, she tasted sweet, she tasted sour and she tasted like she was specially ordered for him. Zim wondered what the inside tasted like and liked her bottom lip. Gaz obliged and opened her mouth so that his alien tongue could answer his question and hers. The taste was even better. To each of them it was an explosion of new flavors. Each one was exotic to the other, and each wanted more. For most of the detention period they kissed. Zim rubbing Gaz's back and sides, and Gaz gently running her hand on his face and arms. It was the first time Zim knew of her doing anything gently. They finally broke apart for the up tenth time to catch their breath.

"You taste..." Gaz searched for the right word, but couldn't find any. "..like nothing else I've ever tasted before."

"Likewise," Zim said breathlessly. Gaz actually smiled. Zim saw her as an angel then. With the sun's light softly shining off her hair, which cast a beautiful shadow across her facial features. Her amber eyes glinted whenever there was a break in her hair and the sun let light shine off them.

Gaz reached up and touched Zim's cheek with her finger tips. He smiled, showing his zipper-like rows of teeth. Gaz quickly but gently plucked out his contacts to look at his ruby eyes. They shined in the sunlight and Gaz saw just how deep they ran. She smiled again and kissed his cheek. Zim pecked her one the neck and Gaz gasped at his cold lips. This made Zim smile. He started kissing her on the neck and Gaz kissed him back.

~(*)~

Dib sighed as he sat boredly in the nurse's office.


	6. Ditching Dib

**Ch. 6: Ditching Dib**

He still didn't trust Zim alone with her but knew Gaz could take care of herself. He knew Zim hadn't left the skool, and probably went back to the detention room. Dib contemplated any other reason Gaz would want to destroy his new machine instead of the one she gave him, but couldn't.

"Don't strain yourself by thinking, you'll get a headache and that won't be good for your concussion," the nurse said. Dib sighed and nodded and sat back up on the cot.

"Can't I go now?" he asked.

"Not until the two hours are up, and then you have to keep yourself awake for another twenty four hours after seeing a real doctor," the nurse said. Dib was silent, after the silence in the room started turning tense, the nurse looked up and saw Dib's muscles tensing. "Don't."

"Sorry," Dib said, he dashed to the door, shut it behind him and locked it from the outside. The nurse slammed into it.

"Let me out!" the nurse yelled.

"Sorry. But, I have to go. I can't believe you didn't see me snatch these," Dib laughed, holding up the keys to the nurse's office door. He tossed them across the hall and started down the hall.

"Dib!" the nurse yelled after him.

Dib ran down the hall. When he started closing in on the detention room he couldn't hear anything or see in. The teacher had drawn a shade over the window in the door the day before when he still had classes and had still neglected to roll it up. Dib was a couple yards from the door and started slowing to a walk.  
He pressed his ear to the door and still didn't hear anything. "They're prob'ly not even looking at each other much less talking..." Dib said. More for himself than anything else. He straightened and then turned the knob quickly and stepped in just as fast. He froze in the door for a second and saw Gaz and Zim straightened from their kiss and stare at him.

"...WHAT THE HELL?" Dib yelled. He tried his hardest to keep the door from slamming behind him, but it still made a rather loud sound. Gaz shot up from Zim's lap.

"You're supposed to be in the nurse's office!" she said angrily at him.

"Like hell I trust him alone with you! What if he tried to dissect you?" Dib asked.

"I would do no such thing!" Zim said. Dib took a step forward. Zim stood up and positioned himself behind Gaz. It was his training. Gaz didn't care, she held her arms out at her sides. Trying to make a shield to keep Dib away.

"Liar!" Dib shouted. "All you care about is taking Earth over!"

"Shut up!" Gaz shouted. Dib was silent. "You listen to me, and you listen good, got it?"

"... What?" Dib asked.

"I don't care what the - you say!" Gaz screamed. Dib looked at her, shocked. "I was tired of you two fighting constantly! And like hell I'll let you hurt Zim now."

"Gaz! Did he probe your brain or something?" Dib asked. Poking his temple to add emphasize to his words.

"No. And I'm sick of you trying to kill him all the time! Or trying to trap him, or expose him, or anything!" Gaz yelled. She stomped her foot to show Dib how angry she was. Her amber eyes were open now, still a rare thing for her to do. Dib knew their color, but they were still so abnormal they still had a small effect on him.

"Calm down, Gaz," he said.

"No!" she yelled.

"Gaz," Zim said. He put a hand on her shoulder, and felt her shaking. He spoke softly to her. The second time that day he'd spoken softly, but this time he wasn't saying it to her in the peace they'd had before.

"Calm down."

"Get your hand off her!" Dib yelled. He grabbed the stapler on the teacher's desk and threw it across the room. Zim ducked, but Gaz caught it in her hand and flung it back instinctively. Dib dodged and it hit the chalk board behind him. "Whoa! Gaz!"

"Shut up!" she yelled. Dib peeked out from under the desk he had hidden under.

"I-"

"No! I don't want to hear it!" Gaz yelled. She grabbed Zim's hand and started for the door. When Dib stood up to try and intercept them, Gaz pushed him back down and dragged Zim in front of her, getting him closer to the door. Zim put on his disguise and waited by the door. Dib got back up, but stayed out of Gaz's reach.

"Gaz, c'mon. I'm just trying to look out for you," Dib said.

"I don't need you to!" she said. "I can take care of myself, Dib. And I don't care what you say, I trust Zim."

"Well I don't!" Dib yelled.

"I don't care! How many times do I have to say that?" Gaz yelled at him. She didn't let Dib begin speaking again, she started again just as he took a breath. "And I don't want to hear anything from you! You've been annoying me for years, so just shut it already!"

"Gaz..." Dib said, sternness in his voice.

"No," Gaz said. She moved away from Dib and grasped Zim's other hand. "Let's go, Zim."  
Dib watched as they left and closed the door behind them. He started fuming. He yelled and kicked a desk. "Not a chance he's taking her away from me..."

~(*)~

Gaz and Zim were silent as they walked down the hall. Gaz heard the distant sound of a desk being kicked and scraping against a floor. She didn't care. 'I'm sorry, Dib,' she thought. Zim looked down at her.

"Hey.." he said. Gaz looked up at him. "You okay?" he asked. Gaz sighed.

"Yeah... it's just... he's so..." Gaz couldn't find words for what she was thinking.

"I've never had a brother or sister, so I can't help you here," Zim said. Gaz smiled.

"What about a mom or dad?" she asked. Zim shook his head.

"Irkens aren't born that way. We're born more commonly in a tube. After we're removed, we're given our paks," Zim said.

"That's... kind of odd," Gaz said. She glanced down and intertwined her fingers with Zim's. And odd thing to try and do, but it seemed to work nonetheless.

"I find many things on this planet odd," Zim said. Gaz rolled her eyes.

"Can we go to your house? I don't feel like going home yet," Gaz said.

"..I suppose," Zim said.

~(*)~

Gaz shut the door behind them. Gir screamed the kitchen.

"I'M MAKIN' WAFFLEZ!" he yelled.

"I'm not eating any," Zim told him as he pulled Gaz over to the couch. "Computer."

"Whaaaaat?" it asked.

"I feel kinda bad for it. It has to be with Gir all day," Gaz said. Zim smiled.

"Take us down to the lab," Zim demanded. The computer didn't respond, but the couch backed up against the wall and then up. A platform rose up and Zim dragged Gaz on with him. As they moved down, Gaz looked at the lights illuminating the tunnel. "Set up security systems in case Dib-stink comes."

"Security enabled," the computer responded.

"What's in the lab?" Gaz asked. She saw Zim smile.

"You'll see."

Gaz raised an eyebrow. The platform stopped and Zim lead her down some stairs. Gaz looked around. She had been in the lab before. But never invited. On the tables and counters surrounding the walls, she saw different devices and soon to be finished weapons.

"What'd you do to my ipod when it was down here?" Gaz asked.

"I told you. I put in a laser and improved it," Zim said.

"And..." Gaz pressed.

"A tracker and a small flashlight," Zim said. He seemd happy about it as he showed her to a clear table.

"You put a tracker in my ipod?" Gaz asked. SHhe glared at him at first but then stopped. "Why?"

"So that I'd have a better chance of finding you if you were to get lost or find yourself in trouble," Zim said. "Now sit."

Zim pulled a stool out and forced her down into it.

"Why?" Gaz asked irritatedly.

"Because you're about to have your first lesson on Irken technology," Zim said.


	7. Lessons in the Lab

**Ch. 7: Lessons in the Lab**

Zim reached over and grabbed one of the alien tools he normally used. He handed it to Gaz and showed her how to hold it.

"It looks like a welding torch or something," she said.

"I studied human tools, and found it had a similar purpose. But it is also used for something else," Zim said.

"What?" Gaz asked. She tried to find a way to start it like a normal welding tool, but couldn't find it.

"It is also used as an extinguisher if something should catch fire. That rarely happens, though," Zim said proudly. Gaz rolled her eyes. She turned it over in her hands as Zim leaned over her.

"How do I start it?" she asked, annoyed.

"Let me show you," Zim said. He took off his disguise and grabbed the tool gingerly from Gaz. She looked at his pak.

"Tell me the real reason you never take that off," she said. Zim looked at her. Then sighed.

"Does your brother go anywhere near your clothing or belongings?" Zim asked.

"No. The stuffed animals in my room would kill him," Gaz said. Zim looked at her questionly. "I messed around in my father's work lab at the house and modified them."

"Smart," Zim said. He smirked. Then walked over and grabbed another machine from a shelf. Gaz didn't say anything. "Don't move."

"Why?"

"Scanning for listening devices or micro-cameras," Zim said. Gaz looked at him with a skeptical face.

"...Fine," Gaz said. She stood up and spread her arms and legs like she did whenever the cops were called on her for an assault charge. Zim glanced at her up and down.

"Do I want to know?" he asked.

"Prob'ly not," Gaz said. Zim shook his head as he smiled and scanned her up and down like security guards do after the metal detectors in an airport go off.

"You're clean," Zim said. Gaz sat back down.

"Why'd you do that?" she asked.

"Irkens can't live without their paks on. If it's taken off, we die after ten minutes," Zim said. Gaz bit her bottom lip and turned back to the table.

"So... what's this do?" she asked. Her voice cracked. She picked up another machine. Zim bent down to her.

"Gaz?" he asked. He took the machine from her hands and set it down on the table. "What's wrong?"

"..Dib made a machine this morning before we went to the school... and he said he was going to aim at your pak to knock you out," Gaz said. Zim just stared at her; inviting her to continue. "He said he'd use it to knock you unconscious. But I thought it would just disable your pak so he could actually knock you out. But what if.. what if I hadn't broken it and he used it? Could it have hurt you?"

"Probably not," Zim said. Gaz looked up at him. "My pak is very durable. It can resist a lot of damage. I even made some improvements to it."

"Like?" Gaz asked. "What'd you do?"

"Made it out of a stronger material, for one," Zim said. "It's very, very hard to do much damage to it."

"But... Dib's good with machines," Gaz said. Zim could hear the worry in her voice.

"So are you, and so am I," Zim said. He put his hand on Gaz's to try and comfort her.

"You're sure your pak will be safe?" Gaz asked.

"I don't take keeping my pak safe lightly. It holds most of my memories in it. And it's keeping me alive. I don't think I could take that lightly," Zim said. Gaz smiled.

"Good point," she said. She reached over and grabbed the machine Zim had laid aside. "So... what's this do?"

"I use this when i need to bolt something. It also acts like a screwdriver, a hammer, and a wrench. Each feature is activated by these buttons," Zim said. Gaz turned the tool over in her hands and saw the buttons in a line stretching up and down the tool. The words were in Irken. Gaz turned to him skeptically and held the tool up. Raising an eyebrow.

"I can't read this," she said. Zim took it and chuckled.

"I'm not surprised," he said. His pak used a mechanical arm to give Zim a book.

"What's that?" Gaz asked.

"It's like a dictionary and one of those language learning books," Zim said.

"What's that mean?" Gaz asked; taking the book from Zim to look it over.

"How would you like to learn Irken?" Zim asked. Gaz smiled.


	8. The Gift

**Ch. 8: The Gift**

Dib slammed the house's door. He threw his bag on the couch.

"Son! You're home! Where's your sister? It's family night," Professor Membrane said.

"She's with Zim, ya know, the alien," Dib hissed.

"Son, you have to let go of the alien nonsense. Otherwise you'll never become a great and renowned scientist!" Membrane said.

"I don't really care about becoming your kind of scientist anymore, dad," Dib mumbled.

"What was that, son? I didn't hear," Membrane said.

"I said I hope Gaz is okay," Dib said.

"Your sister can take care of herself, son. You know that," Membrane said. Dib grumbled and went up to his room. He sat at his desk and started working on the machine Gaz had ruined that morning by dripping it and then promptly stomping on it. Dib sighed heavily and rubbed his temples. He heard the house door slam and looked at the time. It was almost ten thirty at night. He hadn't realized how late he had gotten home. He ran to the stairs.

"Gaz!" he yelled. Gaz glared up at him with her closed eyes.

"Get down here, stupid, it's family night. We can at least watch a movie," she grumbled. Dib dashed down the stairs and into the kitchen after Gaz.

"Gaz, you're home. Come, I've already got the popcorn ready," Membrane said. He walked past Dib and began picking a movie for them to watch. Dib walked up to Gaz as she started to get a drink from the fridge.

"What did you two do? Where did you go? What happened?" Dib asked; interrogating her. Gaz growled at him and he back up out of her face. She grabbed a glass and started to pour the water in.

"None. Of your. Business. Drop it," Gaz warned. She went into the living room.

~(*)~

It was one in the morning. Dib snuck out of his room and stopped at Gaz's door. He slowly turned the lock and peeked inside to see if she was asleep. She was breathing soundly and he could just make out the her soft snoring. He took a cautious step inside and to her boots.

"Sorry, Gaz but you give me no choice," Dib said. He reached into his pocket.

"Hmm? Dib!" Gaz screamed. She had been woken up be the creaking of the floorboards from Dib kneeling at her boots. "Get out!"

"No! No! No! Wait, just let me explain!" Dib said. Gaz wouldn't have it.

"Attack!" she yelled. Her stuffed animals' eyes glowed and their limps started to stretch, showing metallic arms and legs extending their reach. Dib screamed and darted back into his room. His hand still in his pocket. Gaz slammed her door shut and locked it. "And stay out! Disengage."

Dib was breathing heavily in his room. He couldn't believe she still had flesh eating dolls. He tossed the listening bug on his desk, locked his bedroom door, and fell onto his bed. He fell asleep about a half hour later.

~(*)~

When Gaz's alarm clock rang, she showered and then dressed as she had the day before. She met Dib down in the kitchen and glared at him murderously across the table.

"Don't you ever come into my room again," Gaz warned. Dib didn't answer, but his reaction showed Gaz the message was received. She made a mental note to beef up her room's security anyway. After breakfast they each left the house in silence. Gaz kept walking as Dib locked the house behind him and than ran to catch up. She noticed him keeping an unusually sharp eye out for Zim.

"Stop it," Gaz grunted. Dib looked at her.

"No. You can't be seeing him, Gaz. He's dangerous. He's not even human! How can you be attracted to him?" he asked.

"Several reasons. I could name several reasons off the top of my head right now," Gaz said.

"Than name them!" Dib said.

"One, he's smart. Two, he's different. Three, he's-"

"Alright!" Dib yelled. "I got it. But that doesn't mean I won't get in the way."

"Dib, don't," Gaz said. "I swear I'll make your life a nightmare you'll never be able to wake up from. The safe place you'll have is your own dreams."

"Trust me, I don't doubt that, but I can't accept this," Dib said as they came up on the school. Zim was nowhere in sight. Gaz saw the cheerleaders and jocks standing by the door looking confused and waiting for someone.

"Bitchass," Gaz mumbled as she passed by the cheerleader who had given her trouble the day before. To her surprise she started to cry. "You that weak without your 'boyfriend' here to beat the crap out of people? Where is he?"

"Gone!" she yelled at Gaz. "He just disappeared. All the cops found was some blood in a hall and now he's missing!"

"Damn," Gaz said in a monotone voice. She kept walking. Dib came up behind her and glared at her for a moment.

"That's Zim's fault isn't it? You don't even have to tell me, I know it is!" Dib said. "See, Gaz? He's dangerous!"

"Not to me!" Gaz said. She pushed open the detention room doors and saw Zim sitting at a middle row desk writing something down in a notebook.

"Not by him," Dib said. He pulled Gaz to the back of the room and sat her down next to him. Gaz growled and tried to get up. Dib pulled her back down; causing her backpack to fall onto the floor. Gaz retrieved it as the teacher that was supposed to be watching them left.

"Dumbass," Gaz said. Dib sighed and let his head bang down on the desk and stay there. For an hour there was just an awkward silence. Save the sound of Zim's writing. Gaz tilted her head and stretched her neck as she tried to see what it was. The only thing she was certain of what that it was a drawing and not writing.

'What's he up to?' she wondered.

Gaz looked to Dib and saw that he was absently staring out the window. She took out a notebook from her book bag and started to write something down. She looked at Dib again and folded the note into a paper airplane, then sent it flying down the room to Zim. He heard it coming and caught it easily. He brought it down so he could read it; thinking Dib had been trying to hit him with it. He unfolded it and saw Gaz's handwriting.

DIB ISN'T GOING TO LET US BE NEAR EACH OTHER. AND NO, I DON'T WANT YOU TO HURT HIM TO GET HIM TO STOP.

Zim picked his pencil back up and wrote a response. He folded it back up and then paused. How would he get to her? Zim pondered this and then it hit him. His pak gave him a small robotic spider and he folded the paper into a normal flat square shape and set it in a slot in the spider's back. The spider jumped off his desk and scuttled back to Gaz. She watched it come, nervously glancing at Dib periodically. When it reached her, she grabbed the note when it had reached her seat and set her binder on the desk so Dib couldn't read it. He turned his head at the noise and looked at her questioningly.

"I've got homework I still have to do," Gaz lied. Dib blew hair out of his face and turned back to the window. Gaz mentally sighed in relief and looked down at Zim's response.

ZIM HATES TO ADMIT IT, BUT YOU ARE RIGHT IN THE FACT IT WOULDN'T SOLVE ANYTHING. YOU TALK TO HIM ABOUT IT?

Gaz wrote her own response and folded the paper, setting it back in the spider's back and watched it scuttle back to Zim. He took the note and set his notebook down again to respond.

HE WON'T TALK ABOUT IT LIKE THAT WITH ME. I COULD TIE HIM UP AND FORCE IT ON HIM, THOUGH.  
Zim almost chuckled. He responded, and set the note back into the spider. This went on for a while:

I DON'T CARE HOW YOU DO IT, SIMPLY GET HIM TO UNDERSTAND BETTER.

ALRIGHT.

Gaz saw Zim slip the note to the back of his own notebook and knew he agreed with her and had no more to say. The spider reentered his pak through the bottom right pinkish circle; which moved out of the way for it to enter without problems. She wondered if she could get a pak herself, without the risk of dying each time she wanted it removed. 'Maybe he can just make me one that doesn't have to be surgically put into me...' Gaz thought.

At the end of their detention, Zim was first to leave. Dib waited an extra ten minutes after he had left before allowing themselves to leave. Gaz sighed heavily when they finally got up.

"That wasn't necessary," she said.

"How do you know?" Dib asked.

"You seriously think he'd ambush us?" Gaz asked.

"Yes," Dib said frankly. Gaz rolled her eyes. "Dib, we need to talk about this."

"No, we don't. I already told you I can't accept it," Dib said as they left the school's front doors.

"You're going to have to," Gaz said. "I'll find a way to see him."

"I'd like to see you try," Dib said.

"Dib, I can beat your ass down any time I want, now just accept this! If it doesn't work out, then it'll end when it does! And if it ends up that we stay together, then you and I are going to end up have problems," Gaz explained.

"I DON'T WANT YOU SEEING HIM!" Dib yelled.

"TOO BAD!" Gaz screamed at him. They were silent until they reached their house. Gaz decided to try and at least get somewhere before Dib locked himself in his room like he usually did when they got home. "At least tell me why you aren't trying to use this to get him to stop taking over the world."

"..." Dib didn't say anything. Gaz knew she had just achieved the upper hand in this fight. "He's my enemy, alright? It'd be too dangerous to try anyway, and I'm not that heartless to use you like that!"

"..Fine. But you're gonna have to get use to it some time," Gaz said. Dib sighed in an aggravated manner and went up to his room; locking himself inside. Gaz sighed and silently made her way to her own. When she opened the door, she let her bag slip off her shoulders and fall to the floor. It had been hanging loosely on her arm anyway, so it didn't make a big noise.

"He..." Gaz shut her door, opened her blinds, and looked at the framed drawing that sat on her bed. "That's what he was..."

Gaz picked it up and held it in her hands. Zim had been drawing something... he had been drawing her. She was sitting in one of the school desks, with light from outside falling lightly onto her. It may have been in pencil, but the shading was brilliant. Gaz held it up in the light. She was even wearing the same outfit she had been yesterday. She saw a note scribbled into the bottom right corner.

I AM ASHAMED TO SAY EARTH'S ART HAS INSPIRED A GREAT INVADER SUCH AS MYSELF.

Gaz smiled and kept reading.

I SPENT MOST OF THE NIGHT BEFORE AFTER YOU LEFT DOWNLOADING DRAWING SKILLS INTO MY PAK'S MEMORY BANKS SO I COULD GIVE THIS TO YOU. IT DOESN'T SHOW NEARLY AS MUCH BEAUTY AS THE INSPIRATION. I LOVE YOU - ZIM

Gaz held a hand to her mouth and saw the date written under Zim's name. She set the photo on the nightstand beside her bed and left her room, shutting and locking her door behind her.


	9. Sleepover

**Ch. 8: Sleepover**

Gaz snuck down the stairs and out the front door. She ran to Zim's house. Without even bothering to knock, she ran inside and saw that it was empty.

"INTRUDER!" the computer yelled. Bars appeared on the windows and a siren with a red flashing light started going off. Gaz glared up at the "ceiling" and screamed back.

"It's just me, jackass! Where's Zim?" she asked. The window bars shot back up and the flashing light and sirens died off.

"He's in the lab," it said boredly.

"Gir?" Gaz asked.

"With him," the computer replied as the small table with the potted plant at the other side of her room lifted up and a spherical platform rose up to give Gaz a ride down to the lab. She stepped on and rode it down impatiently. When she got there, she heard the bored yet urgent tone of the computer die off. the doors opened and Gaz stepped out fast enough to see Zim finishing throwing something into another room and the doors leading to it shut. Gir screamed as he ran to meet Gaz. He grabbed her leg and kept screaming happily.

"You haven't fixed him," she stated.

"I have given up trying," Zim said. Gaz gently shook Gir off, who sat staring at the ceiling. She looked at him until he stood up, screamed some nonsense she couldn't make out, and then ran to the elevator. Smashing into it and knocking himself out. Zim walked up to Gaz as Gir did so. He couldn't help but smile.

"He's gotten..."

"Dumber," Zim said.

"I agree with lack of a better word," Gaz said. She looked up at Zim. "Zim..."

"Yes?" Zim asked. Gaz thought she saw a hint of a blush on his face. She smiled at him.

"I love you, too," she said. She kissed Zim on the lips.

~(*)~

Dib sighed as he walked up to his room. He stopped before opening his door and looked at Gaz's room. She hadn't made a sound since she locked herself in. He sighed heavily and knocked on the door. After no answer he glared at the door in frustration for a moment.

"Gaz?" he shouted. "Gaz, I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry about the fight, and being such an asshole lately, but I just don't trust Zim!"

There was no answer.

"Gaz! C'mon, are you gonna act like a bitch just because I wouldn't let you sit next to him? What's the matter with you? He's an alien! It's not right!" Dib shouted. When he heard only silence he pounded on the door. "Damn it, Gaz! Open the door!"

There was still nothing. The silence seemed to mock him. He banged his head on the door, and kicked it. He went to his room and slammed his own door shut. The click of the lock sounded for an empty house.

~(*)~

Gaz was sitting on Zim's lap on a his couch. Some blinds on the windows were pulled so Zim didn't have to have his disguise on. Gaz was kissing him and he was gladly kissing back. Gir was in the kitchen making something and Gaz could smell whatever it was cooking. Gir's doggy suit flew across the room and fell next to the TV.

"I love you," Gaz said. She rested her head on his forehead and sighed contently.

"I love you, too. My royalty," Zim said.

"You're what?" Gaz asked with a smile and chuckle.

"Irkens take royalty very seriously," Zim explained. "For example, our Tallest."

"They're only taller than everyone else," Gaz said. She stretched her arms and rested them around Zim's neck and shoulders as she rested her back on the couch's arm rest.

"But still considered royalty," Zim said. "On my planet, if you were Irken, you'd be the equivalent of a Queen."

"So I'm your queen?" Gaz asked as she stared at Zim happily with half-closed eyes.

"Of course," Zim said. He kissed Gaz again.

"What were you working on?" she asked.

"Something for my queen," Zim said.

"Can I see?" Gaz asked.

"Not until it's finished," Zim said. Gaz stuck her tongue out at him and pinched his cheeks. Zim gently swatted her hands away. Gaz settled for letting them rest on his shoulders.

"Can I at least guess?" she asked.

"I MADE WAFFLES!" Gir shouted. When he came into the living room to give them away, Gaz took the plate and leaned over Zim to set it on the opposite side of the couch.

"Enjoy," she said as she set Gir next to the steaming plate. He was silent for a moment, and then began eating the waffles happily.

"He's adorable when he isn't going crazy," Gaz said. Zim shrugged his shoulders.

"I do not notice anymore," he said.

"Liar," Gaz mumbled. "Thank you for the drawing. But how did you get it into my room?"

"I simply broke into your house," Zim said. Gaz looked at him skeptically.

"I used a machine," he admitted.

"I knew it," Gaz said. She kissed him again. "It's getting late."

"I'll take you home. Dib-stink should be asleep by now, shouldn't he?" Zim asked as he straightened up.

"He should. But I don't know how I'm going to get inside without waking him up," Gaz said. "I could stay here..."

"He'll figure out you aren't there eventually," Zim said.

"...Kill joy. Do you even have a bedroom let alone a guest room?" Gaz asked.

"I have a place for rest, yes. But Dib-stink will find out if you stay," Zim said.

"Fine," Gaz said reluctantly. She lifted herself off of Zim and waited for him to get his disguise on. He left after telling the computer he'd be back soon and held Gaz's hand as he led her out.

~(*)~

Gaz unlocked the door as quietly as she could manage. She and Zim stealthily snuck in and shut the door behind them.

"I'll leave it unlocked so you can get out easier, but turn the lock before you leave so it locks after you shut it," Gaz said. Zim nodded his understanding. Gaz pondered how she'd get up the stairs without them creaking. Zim smiled, grabbed her around the waist and used the spider legs from his pak and carried her up by using them to cling to the walls and edges of the stairs.

"My queen," Zim said as he opened Gaz's door for her. His spider legs retracted into his pak. Gaz smiled. She unlocked her door and then pulled Zim inside with her.


	10. The Day After

**Ch. 10: The Day After**

Gaz opened her eyes and saw the light from the morning sun shine on the rest of her room. She looked at the clock and saw that it was ten to seven. She readjusted her position and felt something soft against her. She turned and saw Zim looking at the ceiling.

"Zim?" Gaz whispered.

"Morning," he said.

"What? What the-"

"Nothing happened," Zim said. Gaz sighed in relief and relaxed. She finally realized that she hadn't even taken her clothes off from the night before. She wiggled her feet and noticed her shoes were the only things that she had bothered to slip off. "Are you disappointed or something?"

"What? No. I just promised not to do anything until I was married," Gaz said.

"That's a good promise to keep," Zim said. He shifted and hugged Gaz as they both laid on their sides.

"Thanks. Did you even sleep?" Gaz asked in hopes that a conversation would wake her up.

"I'm not sure. The last thing I remember, I was watching you sleep."

"Creeper."

Zim lightly flicked Gaz on the forehead. Gaz gently kicked him in the shin in return.

"Ow!"

"That didn't hurt."

"And?" Zim asked. Gaz smiled. "I'll have to draw you again. The lighting in the last picture wasn't nearly as beautiful as this."

"I'll have to repay you for that, by the way."

"No need."

Gaz kissed Zim and then looked at the clock. It was seven. She snuggled up against Zim and then as a thought struck her she tensed.

"What about Dib?" Gaz asked. "He doesn't know you're here. If he finds out.."

"I'll leave after you do," Zim said reassuringly.

"...I guess that'll work. It's too bad we have school today. I would've loved to lay here all day," Gaz said.

"At least we have about forty minutes before we have to go. It's a twenty minute walk to the school from here."

"Isn't that why you usually take the bus?" Zim asked.

"Yeah," Gaz said sleepily. She started to doze off in Zim's arms after a what felt like a few minutes of silence and then heard a knock on her door.

"Gaz? C'mon, we have school today," Dib said through the door. Gaz's dolls woke up and got ready to attack Dib if he dared to pick the lock.

"I'm getting up," Gaz said. She heard Dib walk down the stairs.

"I forgot to mention that I like the dolls. When did you modify them?" Zim asked.

"Way back when I was little. They're supposed to eat human flesh. Dib has always run away fast enough, though. They've never tasted it," Gaz explained.

"Then I suppose I wouldn't appeal to them?" Zim asked.

"No," Gaz said with a tired chuckle. "Just stay up here until you hear the door shut. Wait about five minutes, and then unlock it from the inside. After you open it, don't forget to lock it again like you did last night so it stays locked for the day."

"I will," Zim promised. He kissed Gaz on the head. "It's seven fifteen."

"I don't want to get up," Gaz said stubbornly.

"I don't want you to," Zim said. "But you have to."

"I know," Gaz said. She uncoiled herself from the sheets and stood up. She ordered her stuffed animals to sleep and then set them back on their shelves. She picked her clothes out and then headed to the bathroom to change and shower.

~(*)~

Gaz had tried her best to not seem tense while she and Dib left for school. She saw Dib lock the door, and then they started down the street. She had to resist the urge to look back after they had turned the corner. Dib started to talk about the Mysterious Mysteries he had seen the night before, and Gaz drowned him out as usual.

~(*)~

Zim waited for five minutes after the door shut and then opened Gaz's door. He peered down the hall, and carefully walked down the stairs as he fixed his disguise back on his head properly. When he reached the house door, he unlocked it and stepped out. He locked and shut it again behind him. He began to walk briskly down the sidewalk.

~(*)~

Throughout the day, Gaz was actually eager to get to detention so that she could see Zim. Because she was younger, and therefore in a lower class than her brother, she didn't have any classes with Zim or Dib. She was nervously playing her Game Slave in her last class before lunch when the bell rang. She was the first out the door.

Outside, the younger children were playing on the jungle gym and the swings. Older students were either leaning on the side of the building or under trees. Gaz spotted Zim leaning against a brick wall across the school's courtyard. He was separate from any other students and was standing under the shade of an oak tree. Gaz walked over to him and leaned against the wall beside him.

"You didn't bring your lunch?" Zim asked.

"I ate during my last class," Gaz said. "The teacher doesn't teach us anything new, I haven't bothered to pay attention all year and I'm still passing."

"You're one of the more intelligent humans," Zim said. "That's one of the reasons I'm drawn to you."  
Gaz fought a blush and looked up at the clouded sky. "Did anyone see you leave my house?"

"I believe no one saw," Zim said. "I locked the door just like you said."

"Thanks," Gaz said. She looked around the courtyard and saw some kids shooting them glances and others whispering as they did so. Gaz flipped a majority of them off and they distanced themselves further from her. Zim looked down at Gaz.

"Was that necessary?" he asked.

"I don't care," Gaz said. She readjusted her back pack and slid down the wall until she was sitting. Zim sat next to her. "Can I come by your house again? I want to learn more Irken."

"I'm not objecting," Zim said.

"I'd punch you if you did," Gaz said sarcastically. Zim smiled and elbowed Gaz in the arm. She elbowed him back and stuck her tongue out at him. "How far did we get last time?"

"You learned ten characters," Zim said.

"That isn't much," Gaz said. She leaned against Zim and started to toy with her shirt's fabric.

"Where's the Dib-stink?" Zim asked as he scanned the courtyard.

"He's probably waiting for me in the lunch room," Gaz said. "If he comes out looking for me, I'll send him back in."

"He won't go," Zim said.

"He'll go whether I force him to or not," Gaz said. Zim smiled again in despite of himself.

"The bell rang," he said.

"What?" Gaz looked out to the courtyard as Zim started to stand. Students were filing inside the school. Zim helped Gaz up. He handed her a slip of paper and they both entered the school in seperate entrances to their own class halls. When Gaz sat in her next class she saw the phone number on the paper and smirked as she added it to her own phone's contacts list.

~(*)~

"I can't come," Gaz said on the phone.

"Is Dib-stink making you stay home?" Zim asked.

"No, it's family night. We had already this week, but it was pretty lame, so we're going out again to make up for it. Usually, some families spend one night a week together as a way of bonding because they're too busy the rest of the week," Gaz explained.

"We don't have these on Irk," Zim said.

"You don't have families on Irk," Gaz said. When she got no response she sighed. "Sorry."

"It didn't offend me," Zim said.

"Uh-huh. Anyway, it was Dib's turn to pick and he chose a movie. A paranormal one, of course. I'll be listening to him spout mistakes about the movie the entire night after we see it," Gaz said. She opened her closet and started sifting through which jacket to wear.

"Ignore him as I'm sure you usually do," Zim said.

"I'm planning on it. I'm not even going to watch the movie. I'll just be sitting in my seat with my Game Slave on," Gaz said as she tossed a possible jacket choice on her bed. "They can toss me out if I'm distracting people, I'll happily leave."

"You could come then," Zim said. Gaz heard Gir scream in the background and sighed.

"I don't have a license," Gaz said. "If I get pulled over I'll get jailed, and my dad would ground me for weeks," Gaz explained.

"I'll pick you up," Zim said.

"I'd appreciate that, but only if I get kicked out," Gaz said. She took out another jacket and laid it next to the first. She judged them and picked up the first.

"I understand," Zim said. Gir screamed again and Gaz noticed it was significantly closer. She then heard a bang.

"Did you just kick him?" Gaz asked as she put on her jacket, holding her phone between her ear and her shoulder. When she had one sleeve securely on, she switched the phone to her other ear to put on the other sleeve.

"Possibly," Zim said. Gaz smiled and shook her head as she buttoned her jacket. There was a knock on her door.

"Gaz! It's time to go!" Dib shouted. Gaz held the cell phone away from her.

"I'm almost ready," Gaz said. She put the cell phone back to her ear. "I have to go."

"I heard," Zim said.

"I'll see you at school tomorrow. I love you," Gaz said.

"I love you, my queen," Zim said. Gaz smiled as she hung up her phone and stuffed it and her Game Slave into her jacket's pockets.


	11. The Prank

**Ch. 11: The Prank**

Gaz sat in the theater and waited for the movie to start. The lights were still on and she was pushing the seat in front of her with her foot. No one was sitting in it, but it was still something to do even though there was no one to get a reaction from. Dib came back with the drinks and sat next to Gaz. Gaz took a drink and drank from the straw. She saved her game and set it back down.

"Dad's getting the food," Dib said.

"Mm."

"You could try watching the movie," Dib said. "I think you'd actually like this one. It has vampires."

"Do they kill people?"

"Yes."

"Do they show them killing people?"

"I don't know."

"If I hear action or dying I'll watch. If I hear geek talk from you during the movie because you're explaining something to me, I'm leaving," Gaz said. She took another sip.

"Well, as long as you don't play your game," Dib said. Gaz mumbled something. "What?"

"I'll play what I want where I want. If you don't like it, you can see this another time."

"It's not showing again tonight," Dib complained.

"Then-" Gaz saw her battery light turn red. She groaned and shut the game off. "Never mind, it just went red."

"You can watch the movie, now!" Dib said happily. "I have a friend coming and he's-"

"Hell no," Gaz said. "If one of your friends is coming, then I'm leaving."

"Gaz! I got you your candy!" Membrane said as he sat beside Gaz. She took her candy and tossed Dib his.

"Ricky!" she heard him say. Gaz leaned over and saw one of the chess team members sit next to Dib. She groaned and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Membrane asked.

"I just need some air. I'm waiting in the lobby, I didn't even want to see this anyway," Gaz said. She ignored anything they said as she left into the lobby and out the theater's front doors. She sighed as she felt the night's fresh air on her face.

"Hey, Gaz!"

Gaz looked around and saw a group of Goths leaning against the theater walls. Gaz walked up to them.

"Hey, Beth. What are you guys doing here?" Gaz asked.

"Just hanging," a girl with a spiked collar and bracelets said. "What are you doing here?"

"Family night," Gaz said.

"Sucks for you," a boy said. He had his leather jacket draped over his shoulder. He was smoking a cigarette and sitting on the sidewalk.

"It was Dib's turn to choose," Gaz said. Beth and her crew started roaring with comments and Gaz stood calmly until they stopped.

"Oh. Hey, Gaz, are you sure you don't want to join our crew? You'd be a good asset," Beth said.

"As your enforcer," Gaz stated. "I already told you your goth gang doesn't interest me, Beth. It's still no."

"You'll come around sometime," Beth said. She motioned her head to the side and they all started to leave into the parking lot.

"Bet your ass I won't," Gaz said. Beth rolled her eyes and got into her truck. She winked at Gaz as she drove away. Gaz sighed and whipped out her phone. "Zim..."

~(*)~

Gaz saw a convertible start to pull up and then stop. She looked around nervously and saw as Zim stepped out and opened the passenger side door for her.

"Where did you get this?" she asked as she sat in.

"I'm cloaking my ship," Zim said. Gaz looked around and noticed that she was indeed sitting in Zim's ship. He had fitted it to seat two people.

"Are we flying back?" Gaz asked.

"Yes," Zim said with a smile. He started up his ship and made sure there was no one watching after he had driven into the darkest part of the theatre lot before allowing the ship to drop the hologram and begin flying. Gaz watched out the window as they flew over the city.

~(*)~

Beth stopped her truck in front of Gaz's house and her crew stepped out.

"Did you grab enough?" she asked the boy.

"Yeah. Three rolls each," he said, handing out toilet paper rolls from the back of the truck.

"C'mon. If we can't convince her politely, we'll trick her into joining us," Beth said. "Danny, you TP the left side of the house."

"Right," Danny said. He ran into the yard and started throwing the paper.

"Moon, you take the right," Beth said. The girl with the spiked jewelry nodded. "I'll take the middle. When you're done, grab a carton of eggs and go wild."

The three started TPing the house and anything in the yard they could find. A forth member they had picked up set the egg cartons on the sidewalk and grabbed herself one.

"Beth, I grabbed the dozen egg cartons so we could cover the house," she said.

"Nice. Moon! Help Kendra cover the right side of the house! Danny, you and I will take the left. We'll all do the front together," Beth ordered.

~(*)~

Dib walked out of the theater and noticed that Gaz was nowhere in sight.

"I think she might've gotten a ride home," Dib suggested.

"Well, no matter, son. We'll meet her there," Membrane said. He led the way to the car and Dib said good bye to his friend.

"Tell Gaz I said hi," he called as he made his way to his own car.

"Sure," Dib called back. After he sat down in the back of the limo, he noticed his dad taking a call and took out his cell phone. He dialed Gaz's number but only got her voice mail. He sighed and waited for the phone to allow him to speak. He heard the beep at last and spoke. "Hey, Gaz. You missed out, there was actually a lot more blood and gore than the movie's trailer let on. It was awesome! I'll tell you all about it when we get home."

~(*)~

"...tell you all about it when we get home."

Gaz's phone beeped again and the voicemail ended. Gaz glanced at it but inevitably decided to leave it on the ship's dash and faced Zim again. She kissed him on the lips again and then looked out to the stars. He had taken the ship out of the Earth's atmosphere and they were looking down at it from a great distance away. The Earth turned slowly in the distance and Gaz sighed as she looked at the trillions of stars in the distance.

"I'll never be bored of this," she muttered.

"One of the few things you'll never be bored of, I hope," Zim said. "I've found it satisfying to drift in space and watch as the universe passes by."

"Mm..." Gaz turned Zim's head and kissed him again. "I'm getting tired."

"I'll drop you by your house," Zim offered. Gaz nuzzled into his shoulder. "Gaz, I can't pilot if you're restricting one of my arms."

"Killjoy," Gaz mumbled. She stood up from Zim's lap and sat back down in the passenger seat. She stuffed her phone in her jacket's pocket and struggled to stay away as Zim flew the ship back down to Earth. After he had flown close to Gaz's house, he slowed down enough that they began to hover above the rooftop.

"You're family is home," Zim said. Gaz groaned and looked out the window. She saw the limo start to pull away and saw her father and Dib standing seemingly bewildered on the sidewalk. "And your yard has been trashed."

"What the? Who the hell?" Gaz shouted. She saw toilet paper and eggs coating the lawn and the front of the house. Silly string was covering most of the lawn. and Gaz could almost read something written in the grass. "Do you have anything like binoculars?"

"Here," Zim said. He handed Gaz a device that looked similar to binoculars and showed her how to use it. Gaz zoomed in on the lawn and read the message aloud.

"Have fun cleaning up. Gaz is our..." Zim looked at her and then down at the lawn.

"Bitch," he finished. Gaz growled and gripped the binoculars. Zim stood up. "I'll track down who did this."

"No, I will. They'll experience a hellish revenge unlike any other they've ever experienced in their life," Gaz said grimly. Zim smiled.

"I believe I like seeing this side of you when it is not directed toward me," he stated. Gaz gave him a smirk.

"Drop me off at the corner so Dib doesn't see me," she said.

"Of course," Zim said. He moved the ship silently and landed in the darkness at a street corner out of the reach of the street lamp. Gaz pecked him on the cheek one last time and stepped out, heading toward the house. She waved as Zim lifted off again and flew toward his house.

"Dib!" Gaz yelled when she got close. Dib turned to Gaz and ran up to her.

"Where were you?" he shouted.

"I had a friend pick me up and we hung out at the mall for a while before he dropped me off at the corner," Gaz said. She pretended to notice the yard, or her father using the houses cleaning-bots to clean the mess up.

"Look at the yard! Someone has it out for you and this time they're not scared to hit you back," Dib said. He motioned toward the house.

"Damn," Gaz said boredly. "That's soooo bad. What, are they twelve?"

"Gaz, this isn't a joke. This is going to get worse," Dib said.

"They're cowards," Gaz stated. "If they can't stand up to me to my face, then they aren't worth my time."

Gaz moved around Dib and glared at the message on the lawn with a death glare as the cleaning bots picked the silly string off the grass.


	12. Warning

**Ch. 12: Warning**

Gaz sat in her room, watching the robots finish cleaning the lawn. Dib had locked himself in his room again, and their father had long since gone to bed. Gaz narrowed her eyes as the last bot disappeared into the garage and she heard the door shut. She finally kicked off her boots and fell onto her bed, absentmindedly reaching for her ipod. She slid it off the nightstand and unlocked it; pressing select after the screen lit up on her ceiling. Suddenly a small, narrow light flashed toward the wall facing her feet. Gaz sat up and looked at the top of her ipod. A small, circular screen had appeared, and from it the light from the flashlight Zim had mentioned shined through. Gaz turned on her bedside lamp and looked at the screen. The option 'Flashlight' was chosen. Gaz clicked it again and the flashlight shut off; a small slip of the iPod's plastic covered the flashlight's screen.

Gaz looked under it and saw 'Laser' on the list. Gaz narrowed her eyes toward the window where the message on the lawn used to lay. She shut her ipod off and set it down, shutting her lamp off and falling to sleep.

~(*)~

That morning, Gaz awoke to her brother banging on the door as usual. She sighed heavily and sat up.

"DIB! IT'S SATURDAY! GO AWAY!" Gaz yelled.

"We still have detention for this week, remember? We have to go soon, it's almost noon!" Dib shouted through the door. The teacher called this morning, saying we had to be there by 12:30."

"It's a twenty minute walk," Gaz stated.

"Thirty if there's traffic," Dib retorted. Gaz groaned and sat up, changing quickly. She grabbed a jacket with a large black widow on the front, and the rest comprised of its web. Her jean skirt was dotted with webs stitched into the fabric. Her boots were platform and reached up to her knees and had multiple belts running up the sides. She smoothed her shirt out before unlocking her door to an impatient Dib.

"Fine," Gaz said stubbornly. She grabbed her ipod off her bedside dresser and stuffed it in her jean skirt's pocket.

"Still hung up over last night?" Dib asked.

"Don't even ask," Gaz warned. She made a quick trip to the bathroom to brush her teeth and hair and then walked down the stairs with Dib.

"Snappy," he muttered. Gaz let it pass as if she hadn't heard and led the way to the school. Regrettably to her, Dib had been right and it had taken twenty five minutes to get to the school's grounds.

"I'll meet you in there," Gaz said. "I've gotta talk to someone."

"Don't take too long," Dib called after her. Gaz made her way around the school and toward the back entrance, where she knew Beth and her gang liked to hang out. She looked past the stairs and saw them smoking as they leaned against the wall. She walked up to them as calmly as she could.

~(*)~

Dib sat down in the dentention room in his regular seat in the back.

"Where's your sister?" the teacher asked.

"She'll be here soon," Dib assured him. The teacher shrugged his shoulders and stood up, grabbing his newspaper.

"Make sure she gets here, i have some business to take care of," he said as he left the room. Dib was taking out his notebook when Zim entered the room.

"Where's Gaz?" Zim asked.

"Talking with someone," Dib explained. He stood up. Zim shut the door and stayed at the front of the room.

"Don't fight me," Zim said.

"Believe me, I want to," Dib said. "But I won't because it'd just upset Gaz."

"..." Zim was silent for a moment. Dib stopped at the desk in the front of his row at the opposite end of the classroom across from Zim.

"If you hurt Gaz, I'll personally make you pay," he threatened. At first Zim didn't believe him. But after seeing the seriousness in his eyes and remembering the numerous fights in which Dib would've won, Zim started to rethink his belief in the threat.

"I promise I won't hurt Gaz," Zim said.

~(*)~

Meanwhile, Gaz was standing on the steps of the back entrance to the school. Taking out her ipod as she addressed Beth and her crew.

"Hey, Beth," she greeted.

"Oh, hey! How you been?" Beth asked. She threw her cigerette to the ground and stepped on it, digging it into the rocks.

"SOMEONE vandalized my yard," Gaz said. She saw a glint in Beth's eye.

"I don't know who'd be dumb enough to do that," she said. "You're the toughest chick in the school."

"Which makes me wonder why you did it," Gaz said. As the crew looked up to her, Gaz opened her eyes enough that they could see the amber color, but kept them closed enough to show her anger toward them.

".. I don't know what you're talking about," Beth said.

"We just hung out at Moon's house the whole night," Danny stated.

"Right," Gaz said. She scrolled on her ipod's screen until she found 'Laser'. "I'm so sure that alibi's gonna stick."

"What are you-"

"I know it was you, because you've been trying so hard to get me to work for you. I'm sure doing that to my house was supposed to make me join you for some reason."

Gaz aimed the top of her ipod toward Danny first. She pressed the center button and a small beam of concentrated light hit Danny in the arm. It only lasted a few seconds, but it still left a small circular burn on Danny's upper arm, visible through his shirt.

"OW! Bitch!" he shouted, clutching his arm. Kendra took out her switch blade and aimed it toward Gaz.

"Don't even try," Gaz said. "Just like Beth said, I'm the strongest chick in school. I'll whoop your ass."

"I'd like to see that," Kendra said.

"Cool it, Kendra," Beth said. She lowered Kendra's arm and regarded Gaz. "What was that just now? You burnt Danny."

"Aren't you the observant one," Gaz said. She stuffed her ipod back into her pocket. "My answer is no, and that's how it's going to stay. Mess with me again, and I'll end you. That's a warning."

Before Beth could reply, Gaz had walked into the back entrance and shut it with a bang behind her.

~(*)~

When Gaz had entered the detention room, she wasn't surprised to see Dib and Zim sitting on opposite sides of the room, but she was silently caught off guard that they hadn't beat each other.

"Where's the teacher?" she asked.

"Left already," Dib said. Gaz nodded and took the seat in the middle of the room. Dib and Zim looked at her quizzically.

"Either sit beside me, or sit alone," she said. The two exchanged looks and got up.


	13. Gift Fit for a Queen

Just an FYI; I was able to upload these so quickly (must've seemed like lightning to y'all XD) because I already had them done before hand on another site XD So after this, it'll be updating along with the other site. Enjoy!

**Ch. 13: Gift Fit for a Queen**

Zim dragged out the present he had been making Gaz and stood it up. The elevator sounded and he heard her start to come down. He draped a sheet over the gift and waited by the elevator doors for Gaz. When she stepped out, Zim covered her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Just wait," Zim encouraged. He guided her toward her gift and stopped her in front of it. He removed his hands and Gaz looked at the cover.

"What is it?" she asked.

"A gift fit for a queen," Zim repeated. He removed the cover and saw Gaz's eyes light up. He smiled and stood next to her. "A dress fit for a queen."

"You made this?" Gaz asked.

Ch. 13 Gift Fit for a Queen

The mannequin stood as tall as Gaz wearing a dress with thin straps, and sleeves separated at the shoulders that extended toward her wrists. The middle of the thick fabric of the top was thinned and had horizontal black and green lines running across the chest and stomach. The skirt split at the front, the loose fabric frilling at the edge. Underneath, the green and black horizontal lines continued to the end of the underskirt, which stretched to the floor. Black composed the rest of the top and sleeves, as well as the underskirt.

"Yes I did. Only the family of the Tallest and political or wealthy arisocrats can afford to wear dresses such as these," Zim explained. "This is some of the best silk and fabric from Irk."

"That's amazing," Gaz said. "Zim, this is beautiful."

"Try it on," Zim said. He pulled a screen from behind the mannequin and set it between Gaz and himself. After Gaz had finished, she pushed the screen away and stepped in front of Zim. He seemed lost for words.

"Perfect," he whispered.

"It fits perfectly, too," Gaz commented. She felt the fabric and smiled up at Zim.

"You're stunning," Zim said. He held Gaz's waist.

"I really do like it," Gaz said. she placed her arms on Zim's shoulders and let her foreharms hand on the other side. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

"Gaz?"

"Hmm...?"

"How would you like to rule a planet?" Zim asked smoothly. Gaz's eyes opened in shock. she looked up at Zim.

"What?"

"How would you like to rule a planet?" he asked.

"What planet?" Gaz asked. Zim stared down at her.

"This one."

~(*)~

Gaz closed her house's door, a bag containing the dress at her side. A thin blanket covered the dress and Gaz looked cautiously around the house. No one was in the living room or the kitchen. She wandered furthur into the house and peered around the cornor to the stairs. The dark hall was partially illuminated by a light from under Dib's door.

Gaz pursed her lips and silently made her way up the stairs toward her room. She stepped over the few that creaked and hesitantly reached for her door's knob. A thump from her brothers room made her freeze. The light clicked out and Gaz relaxed, turning her knob.

"Where were you?"

"AHH!" Gaz flew through her door, stumbling over the desk chair and slamming into the wall, her heart beating quickly. "What the hell, Dib? You scared the shit out of me!"

"You were scared? I was the one worrying all night. It's past ten, where were you this whole time?" Dib asked.

"I was at Zim's," Gaz confessed. She slowed her heart as Dib stood in her doorway.

"Is that who the bag's from?" he asked. He took out a device from his jacket and a blue light scanned the bag at Gaz's side.

"What are you doing?" she asked. Dib stashed the device back in his jacked

"Checking for anything metal, just in case," he said. Gaz growled her annoyance and set the bag at the end of her bed.

"Good night," she said, shutting the door in his face.

"H-hey!" he yelled. Gaz locked her door and stood there until she heard Dib's own door shut behind him. She sighed and sat on her bed.

'Ruling a planet? How could I rule this planet?' she wondered. 'Then again, I should be real. I have always hated this race, and I know I'd be a better ruler than any of the idiots in control right now.'

Gaz tapped her chin with her index finger and looked around her room, her eyes settling on her dress. She closed her eyes and counted to ten before opening them and seeing the bag untouched. She pursed her lips and fell on her back, looking at the moon through her window.

'A whole planet... all to me and Zim alone. I could be a queen,' Gaz gave a wicked smile. 'It's not something I can refuse... or would want to for that matter...'

Gaz kicked off her boots and pulled her body under the blankets. 'It's not that bad an offer...'


	14. The Bond

**Ch. 14: The Bond**

Two weeks. It had been two weeks since Zim had given Gaz his gift. Two weeks and she still hadn't given him an answer. 'Am I THAT afraid? C'mon, Gaz, grow a pair, it's a 'yes' or a 'no'answer, just tell him!'

But she couldn't. She didn't know why, she just couldn't. Gaz sighed heavily in her class. The other students were gathered in their own groups and were talking loudly enough that no one paid her any attention; which she actually preferred.

When the bell rang, she stood up, gathering her things. When the last student left, the teacher spared her a glance as she made her way down the aisle before leaving as well. Gaz rolled her eyes. She reached the front desks when she heard the door shut and looked up. Zim stood beside it, his hand still on the wood.

"Zim, what are you doing?" Gaz asked. She reached for the handle, but he took his hand in his instead. Gaz looked up at him.

"I'd like an answer," he said. Gaz felt her cheeks flush. She saw Zim's smile, and for a moment considered kicking him for it. She pursed her lips.

"Zim… I…" Gaz felt her chest tighten. She knew what she wanted but couldn't get the words out. She felt Zim kiss the top of her head and felt his hand rest on her cheek.

"What?"he asked. Gaz shifted her weight on her feet.

"I… want to," she said. Relief flooded inside her. Zim tilted her head up and kissed her. Gaz smiled into it and kissed back until the bell rang again.

~(*)~

Gir ran around the room, as always. Gaz was sitting on the couch waiting for Zim.

"You want waffles?" Gir asked. Gaz kicked him away in annoyance. Zim came up from below the small table near the T.V. and walked over to Gaz.

"So... how do you plan on taking over for me if you've failed and given up a while ago?" Gaz asked teasingly. Zim smirked.

"Zim was thinking that he'd have your help. A queen should take part in enslaving a people," Zim said. Gaz smirked with him and laid her head on his shoulder.

"I have some ideas," she said menacingly. Zim smiled.

"I do believe I love when you use that tone," Zim said. He ran his hand through her hair and Gaz smiled at the feeling. Gir jumped on the couch, shouting. Gaz kicked him into the air and behind the couch. "Gir! Go entertain yourself with waffles, or something."

"Okay!" he shouted, popping up from behind the couch. He stayed there, staring at the wall for a moment before running into the kitchen. Gaz's eye twitched.

"I want to fix him," she said, rubbing her temples. "He's really annoying. At least let me fix his command module."

"That I will allow," Zim said. "His persistent happy attitude, although, can stay. It keeps me from rampaging sometimes."

"Strange, it makes me want to rampage," Gaz chuckled. Zim sighed. Gaz looked at him. "Zim? What's wrong?"

"…Life span…"

"What?"

"Life spans. Mine is longer than yours," Zim stated. Gaz bit her lip.

"If your pak is what keeps you alive, then make me one," Gaz said. "Then I'd live just as long."

"No."

Gaz looked at Zim with an expression with anger, confusion, and hurt. She slid off his lap. He turned to look at her. "Why not?"

"If I were to do that, you'd be susceptible to living only a set time if it's taken off," he warned. "If it's stolen, and I can't get it back in time… you'd die, regardless of how long it seems you'd have in appearance."

"…You live with that hanging over your head, and you do nothing about it," Gaz said.

"I have no choice. I am unable to be stable long enough. If I ever take the pak off in my lab, I have a backup system that plugs into me to keep me stable. But that system can't last more than a day," he explained. "And the pak is set into my system so extensively.. that the effects would be irreversible anyway. I was born with it, so it is a part of me."

"I did always think a portion of you was robotic. But I didn't think it was a lifeline."

"Yes…" Zim took Gaz's hand. "And the pak is dangerous to whoever takes it. If taken long enough, it will attach itself to the thief, and eventually kill them as well."

"..At least I'd have the solace knowing my killer is dead with me," Gaz said solemnly. Zim sighed heavily, standing up from the couch. Gaz stared at the pak in a new light, seeing the importance it held for Zim now. "Please? If you died, I don't want to have to marry someone new to keep ruling in your name."

Zim turned to her. "Is that how rulings were on this planet? Male dominant?" he laughed. Gaz looked at him. "Gender isn't considered a priority with our Tallest. Irkens would have no problem. ..Except that you're not Irken."

"So I'd be killed anyway? I'd rather die with you," Gaz said. Zim paused. "I'd die at the same time."

"Not just a normal pak.. a synced pak?" Zim asked. Gaz nodded. Zim sat behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "Think more about this."

"I've thought about it since you asked me to be your Queen," Gaz admitted. "I realized that if you died, for whatever reason, I didn't want to rule alone; or with someone else."

"…I'll… think about it," he said. Gaz grinned and kissed him.

~(*)~

Gaz sat at Zim's table, waiting for him to come back up. She heard the trashcan open and knew he was back. She turned toward him.

"What was the surprise you were gonna give me?" Gaz asked, holding up her cell phone to show the text he'd sent, smiling. Zim sat beside her.

"I decided," he said. Gaz gave him a quizzical look. He held out a box and set it on the table. Gaz cautiously pulled it closer.

She lifted the lid and looked inside. She gasped as she lifted out the pack. It was a deep silver, with dark purple circles. Gaz looked at Zim.

"It's equipped with everything my pak has, including the spider legs you seem to enjoy so much," he said. "I also installed a system synced with my own, as you requested."

Gaz stood up quickly and hugged Zim. She took out her ipod, which she was carrying with her everywhere, and pressed the top circle. It opened and a small robotic claw took her ipod. She smiled at the machine. "How do I put this on?"

Zim took the pak and Gaz turned, removing her jacket. Her shirt was sleeveless, allowing Zim to set the pak on her back. He hesitated. "I am unsure if it will hurt."

"..Just do it," Gaz said. Zim nodded and pressed all three circles. Gaz felt a needle, and her back suddenly became numb. In fact, her internal cavity save for any vital organs became numb enough she couldn't feel them at all anymore. "I can't feel anything. Is it working?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, I forgot. The numbing injection.. it slipped my mind that I put it in there for the bonding process," Zim confessed.

Gaz heard the silent hum of gears and felt something push on her back, but weather it pierced her skin or not was still a mystery to her. Again, the feeling returned. But this time it was movement inside of her abdomen. "I… I think I feel it. It's weird, but it doesn't hurt."

"Good," Zim sighed in relief. It's almost done. Once it's bonded to you, you'll be able to use it consciously and subconsciously. Just like Irkens. Although…"

"What.. what is that?" Gaz asked. A vibration ran up her spine and she shuddered. "Zim what is that?"

"..The bonding of your DNA to Irken DNA," he admitted. "It was the only way I could get the pak to not reject you. If I bonded Irken DNA to your human DNA and made you a hybrid, then I'd be able to set the pak onto you without fear of it accidently killing you in rejection."

"I didn't know that was possible."

"Not with Earth technology. A small humming came from the pak. "The bonding is done."

Zim released the pak from his grip and it molded to Gaz's back. "Now what?"

"Now it will copy all of your memories and personality into its database. Another way it essentially becomes a part of you," Zim explained.

"Will I notice?" Gaz asked. A small beep came from the pak.

"No," Zim said. "It's done, apparently you do not."

Gaz smiled as she slipped her jacket back on, to cover the pak. It didn't work too well, it created a bulge and she removed her jacket again. "I didn't think about that… or Dib!"

Zim reached over the table and grabbed a normal back pack. He showed her the back. A zipper was installed in the back of the bag. Zim unzipped it and set it on Gaz's back. It hid the pak inside. Gaz smiled. "But it's a good thing you thought of it."

"Yes, well. You'll have to cut holes in your clothing to wear warming clothing, but the bag should hide the pak with no problems for now," Zim said. "Irken DNA does have drawbacks."

"..Like?"

"If you start changing, be assured that I've been able to take out some genes; such as the green skin, hands, and eyes. You'll still retain mostly a human form. But… you may gain the tongue. And the antenna I can't be sure of… but if you do, you'll have the enhanced hearing ability," Zim said.

"And? Will I have the strength of an Irken, and the apparent resistance? I've seen you take some heavy damage before," Gaz commented, taking Zim's face in her hand and giving him a quick kiss.

"Mm… perhaps," he said. "I wouldn't mind if you did."


	15. New Ruler?

Hey guys! Hopefully this updated! :D Also, for those interested, I've started a One Piece fanfiction, if you wanna read :3 Anyway, here's chapter 15! Things are REALLY starting to get interesting now

**Ch. 15: New Ruler?**

'Spring break. FINALLY,' Gaz thought thankfully. She sat on her couch, waiting for Dib to finish getting the popcorn. She had been unsure if the pak would be fine in the shower, but Zim assured her it was waterproof. She was also curious on if rain would hurt her as it did Zim. Thankfully he had managed to take that specific gene out as well.

Currently, she had her pak hidden in the couch behind a pillow, her bag was discarded next to the couch. Her hair was wet after her shower, and a towel draped over her shoulder prevented any sign of the pak from being seen by the side. Dib set the bowl between them as he took his place on the couch. Gaz took a handful.

"What are we watching?" she asked; glad she was succeeding in hiding the nervousness in her voice.

"You're turn to choose," Dib said, handing her the remote. Gaz instantly switched the T.V. to a movie channel. "Horror? I'm not complaining."

"Good," Gaz stated.

~(*)~

Zim fiddled with a soldier bot machine. It was supposed to crank out more soldier bots than he could alone, but the amount of parts he had for the bots were slim. He'd have to wait for another shipment from the Tallest. They didn't care if they sent more supplies to him, he'd learned they didn't think he was capable to take over the planet. He'd grown smart enough to see this during one report to them. But that didn't stop him. It had at first, but not now. Now, he had another reason.

He had decided if the Tallest didn't think they'd be bothered to help, then he'd do it himself. He hadn't reported to them in a while. One Irken found it odd considering his past obsessive behavior with calling them; and had actually called.

Zim had been working on repairing his ship when the call came. And he had been too calm to say no to it. The Irken had asked why he hadn't reported and Zim just looked at him for a while; making the Irken uncomfortable before he bothered to answer. "Nothing to say."

The Irken had paused for a moment, and Zim had looked back up at them. "I don't have anything to report," he had said sternly. He had then cut the transmission. It may have felt better to know that someone on Irk had bothered to check on him, but that didn't change the Tallests' opinions.

His soldier bots were already done with programming, and were waiting to be used. They followed out his commands, and were strong enough to rebound most bullets and artillery. Perfect for fighting the humans. But there weren't enough. Only half a million were stocked in his basement. He'd need many more. If the machine worked, he'd have over three million by the time two Earth months lapsed.

Gir sat, currently shut off, on another table. Zim pondered what Gaz was doing. His pak gave him the tracker. He pressed a button and it showed her in her home. He zoomed in. She was on the couch, with another human. The heat signature showed they were only slightly taller than her: Dib-stink.

The pak took the tracker back and Zim closed the machine's hatch and walked around to the front. He pressed the power button after setting the bots parts on the conveyor belt and watched as it was assembled in less than two minutes. He shut the machine off and smiled proudly at his achievement.

As he set the mechanical arms that would grab new parts in their places the computer announced another transmission was coming through. Zim's antennae perked up at the news. Another? Had it been that long already that the Irken was calling again?

Zim thought back to it. It had been months ago. On Irk this time would be shifted, but since the Irken had been on the Massive, there was no definite set time since the ship was almost continuously traveling. Zim stepped into the transmissions room.

"Broadcast," he ordered. The screen flickered to life; just as he had thought the Irken had called to check on him.

"Invader Zim, why have yo-"

"I still don't have anything worth reporting," Zim interrupted. You calling isn't helping anything. The Irken paused and looked around to be sure he was alone to be able to break the set rules for how to address other Irkens.

"If I've been informed correctly, it's been several months since we've last talked," he said.

"You say that as if it means something," Zim said. The Irken didn't respond. "If it's not the Tallests calling me, then I have no desire to speak to anyone from Irk."

"Well… they did express some interest…"

"Whether or not I was dead yet, I'm sure," Zim stated with a hiss. When the Irken was silent Zim continued. "As I thought."

"There is concern for any Invader not responding to transmission requests, or who haven't reported for a long period of time."

"If I recall, they don't see me as the Invader I so clearly am," Zim said. He turned to leave, thus preparing to cut the transmission when the Irken spoke again.

"It may not be the concern of the Tallest, but-.." Zim turned at the pause, intrigued. The Irken looked around nervously.

"Continue," Zim prompted.

"…but… there are rumors… that a rebellion has begun on Irk invaded planets…."

"And? This is nothing special, of course they'd fight back-"

"One of them is a military training planet," the Irken stated. Zim paused. That was certainly news. The only reason any Irken had ever even thought of revolting was for a good reason; like if they thought the current Tallest weren't doing their job right.

"That… is impossible. They are merely rumors," Zim commented, trying to force himself to believe it as well.

If this WAS true, then that meant all Irkens would soon be wanting new leaders. The only way that happens is if the current Tallest die. The fact one's death was an indirect cause of Zim's doing had been a secret, and Zim thought it best only the few who knew continued to keep it that way. The decisions of any life form in a time of civil war was unclear in logic; Irkens, sadly, were no exception. The reaction to such news could be very bad for Zim. He hadn't been exiled from Irk per say yet, and he preferred to keep it that way. A home planet was always a good thing to keep on hand.

"…We were considering…" the Irken began. Zim turned to him. "..given your current height…"

Was he suggesting the position? Irkens believed intelligence comes with height, given their leader's status name since only the most intelligent should be given such positions. Zim's height had increased quite a lot, but accepting such an offer would be high treason. They might even kill him for it despite the fact he was so far from any other planets on the invading list.

"That would be treason to the Tallest!" Zim shouted.

"We are… aware," the Irken stated. "But since there are no other Irkens with your height, and since you almost match the height of the Tallest already… we were sure you would've accepted."

"This would also mean Purple and Red's deaths," Zim seethed. He didn't have the most love for his leaders anymore, but the loyalty to them was almost instinctive to all Irkens. It was a hard thing to forget. But if he accepted… it would be fairly easier to take over the planet for Gaz.

"…Would you accept?"

"…Perhaps…"


	16. First Attack

Okay, then! The ending chapters, note, I say –ers, will be a shock to some of you. Others may have actually seen this coming! :D Regardless, enjoy, and I hope you keep reading til the end! I'm even thinking of doing an epilogue story after this one ends~

**Ch. 16: First Attack**

"You've been wearing that back pack everywhere with you for weeks now, what's inside?" Dib asked. He set the milk on the table and opened the cereal cabinet. Gaz breathed evenly and sat down at the table as if nothing he'd said had bothered her. She readjusted her hat.

"None of your business," she said curtly. "It's a personal project."

"On? What class, school's almost over," Dib stated.

"So? You're still doing extra credit, even though your grades are the highest in class."

"It's for college credit."

"Well, mine is for senior year."

"They don't let you do extra credit for your next high school year," Dib said. He sat at the table and fixed their breakfasts. "C'mon, Gaz, I'm going to college next fall; don't keep secrets from me still."

"Sorry," Gaz said. She quickly ate and left for the door. "Some secrets you'll never find out."

Dib sighed and followed her out after taking some bites of his own. As a bot cleared the table he snatched his bag and followed her out. As they neared the school Dib spotted Zim walking up the stairs. He instinctively slowed his pace and grabbed Gaz's shoulder. She shook it off in annoyance and kept going.

"Don't be a baby, Dib," she spat.

Gaz ran to Zim and walked along side him. No other students were outside save them, Dib and a few Gaz saw out of the corner of her eye. She glanced over once and then stopped at the top of the school steps; looking again. Beth and her crew were leaning against the wall, smoking. They glanced up one by one to see Gaz and then quickly looked back down. Zim noticed and turned to Gaz, smirking.

"What is it that you did to them?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"I did not tell you, but they normally threatened me daily; although, after the incident with your yard, they have yet to come near me," Zim said. "I like that they finally know their place, and I'd also like to know how."

"I used that special laser feature on them," Gaz said. Zim chuckled as they entered the school.

"I see! The school knows we're a couple?"

"Prob'ly," Gaz mumbled. She looked around. The halls weren't as full as usual. "Are we late?"

"Only by a few minutes," Zim said. Gaz smirked and clenched his hand. Zim poked the hat on her head. "What is this? Zim has not seen you wear a hat before."

"I found out this morning that I grew some new appendages last night. They're black and look just like yours," she said. Zim stopped in the now empty hallway.

"So it is mutating you," he said. Gaz knew he was referring to her pak. She nodded.

"I snagged them on the shower curtain and they hurt," she stated.

"At least that means you have feeling in them," Zim stated. "Soon they should be able to scent the air and twitch with your emotions and thoughts. Just don't touch them, they're sensitive."

"I think I learned that when they got caught," Gaz joked, "I'll catch you at lunch. Hopefully by then everyone isn't acting so weird." Zim nodded and smiled to himself as she left.

"Or perhaps, they can sense when something is coming after all," he muttered to himself.

~(*)~

"What are those?"

Gaz looked up from her Game Slave and glanced out the window. She threw her feet off the desk and stood up. Large robots were marching down the street, the Irken symbol painted on their chests.

"Are they parade floats or something?"

'Are they idiots?' Gaz thought. She waited until the teacher and the rest of the students were at the windows before leaving the classroom. The bell rang, and as students on the opposite side of the hall left their classes, Gaz heard others shout for them to come and look at the robots marching toward their school. Someone grabbed Gaz's shoulder and whirled her around.

"I told you Zim was still evil!" Dib shouted. Gaz pushed his hands away.

"You know his leaders think he's incompetent, how do you know they just didn't finally get impatient?" Gaz said, trying to cover up the knowledge that she knew the bots were Zim's.

"Because I checked last night and this morning and there were absolutely no ships in Earth's vicinity," Dib stated. " Go back home as quick as you can, I'm gonna try and take a few out."

"Dib!" Gaz grabbed his arm before he could disappear in the crowd. He turned to her. "All your weapons are at the house, anyway, just go there and I'll meet you."

"Damn it! You're right! I forgot I moved them back to the house so I wouldn't forget when school ended," he said. "Okay, new plan. I'll go get my weapons and you hide here until I do!"

Before Gaz could stop him a second time he was gone, running to the school exit. She had to find Zim. She started walking to his class but quickly changed her mind and ran the moment the halls were free again. At first she hadn't noticed, but when she had reached the opposite end of the school in moments she realized she had also gained an Irkens speed, and held down her hat.. 'At least that's useful. What's next?'

She opened the door and saw that about two classes squeezed into the room, but Zim was nowhere to be found. Gaz groaned and moved closed the door just as the hallway exit was blown off its hinges. Almost as if on cue people started screaming and running out of their classrooms.

As Gaz was pushed into the corner of the wall and the locker she looked around and saw that the halls were clearing faster than she thought they would. When she saw the chance she stepped out into the middle of the hall. People were parting and going back into classrooms. Gaz looked down the hall and saw that some of the robots were marching down the hall now.

As one stopped just a few yards from her, she could see in the glass visor of their helmets that they were scanning the hallway for something. The scanners fell on her and paused. Gaz crouched slightly, ready to run. She saw that the boxes seemed to stall at a red color until they found her pak, hidden in the backpack.

The box turned green and the bot moved forward, picking Gaz up in its hand. At first she kicked and punched at it until it had her outside and she saw Zim standing next to one. "Zim!"

"Thank you, you may set her down now," he said. After the bot set Gaz on the sidewalk she ran toward Zim and held him.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Let me go!"

Gaz turned to see Dib being held by one of the robots, his kicking and struggling seeming to do little to it as it just stood there with him in the air. "He is fine," Zim said.

"It won't hurt him?" Gaz asked.

"No, they are programmed not to. Just as they were programmed to seek out you and I," Zim said. He turned to the bot holding Dib and snapped his fingers. "Take him to his house, and make sure he cannot leave."

"Let me go, Zim!"

"He has weapons there," Gaz stated as he was carried off.

"I have already taken care of that," Zim said. He held Gaz closer as two more robots brought a throne they were carrying toward them. He helped Gaz in and then seated himself beside her.

"You still haven't answered my question: what's going on?"

"I asked if you wanted to rule this planet, and you said yes. So we are going to," Zim stated. He held Gaz as the bots lifted their throne. Gaz looked up at him and noticed that his disguise was gone. Before she could say so, Zim quieted her. "I have plenty of robot soldiers, and more being made, that I do not need it. We'll have control of this planet soon enough."

"Are the bots killing anyone?"

"Only those who try and harm them."

Gaz pondered what was happening, and to her surprise, she didn't feel guilt. Or remorse, or any of the feelings someone would normally have. Instead, she felt… like a queen.


	17. Spy

**Ch. 17: Spy**

"Your eyes have changed as well," Zim said. Gaz walked to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. They were turning purple all around, even the whites of her eyes.

"That makes a total of five changes: antennae, speed, strength, the tongue, and now my eyes," Gaz said. She slipped on some sunglasses and walked back out to Zim. In the past few weeks his base had gone under some major improvements. It more resembled a palace than it did a misshaped home; especially the interior.

Gaz sat next to Zim on the bed and he wrapped his arms around her. Dib had managed to disappear after the robot had dropped him off, and they had no idea where he currently was at the time. One thing they were certain of was that he was most likely leading the revolt against Zim's mechanical army. They had yet to win any major battles so far. Both robot and Irkens were fighting for Zim; at least a dozen ships holding Irken soldiers had arrived just a few days after the attack of the school.

"I can believe he'd do this…" Gaz muttered again. Zim rested his chin on her head.

"Yes, I know," he said. Gaz looked out the window at the section of the city currently burning.

"I like it," she said. "The scenery. I like it, it suits me."

"Only fit for an Irken Queen," Zim said soothingly. "And soon we'll have our own armada as well."

The Irken Armada. After the attack on the school; which marked the official invasion, Zim had contacted the Irken who had mentioned the rumored uprising on Irk and had accept the offer to be leader. On two conditions: they help conquer Earth as his first conquest, and accept Gaz as their queen.

The first command was almost an automatic agreement. But Zim had to explain a lot about Gaz and himself, and of course the pak she now had, for the Irken to accept the second condition. After he had actually met Gaz, Purple and Red had been held captive, and the Irken Empire had officially been announced under Zim's control. After Earth had been completely conquered, he would announce it officially himself.

Gaz would be by his side during the announcement. She admitted, she felt nervous for the event in the upcoming weeks, but it was more an anxiety of excitement. She couldn't wait to finally control her own planet. The fact she'd be in partnered control of an Empire was icing on her cake.

Gir ran around the room, jumping on anything with a solid surface. He was still as hyper and ADHD as ever, but Zim had modified him quite a lot. If given an order by either of them, he immediately obeyed until the order was filled out. A constant order was to find him or Gaz if he was separated from them without previous orders saying he was to do so.

"How long? Til they get here," Gaz asked.

"About another day or so," Zim said.

"Are you going to kill Purple and Red?" Gaz asked.

"Most likely," Zim said. Gaz smirked.

"Good. They've humiliated you enough," she grumbled.

"..You want to be there," Zim said.

"Maybe."

Zim smirked as a knock at the door drew his attention away from Gaz. He rubbed his chin into her shoulder and opened the door. Some of the alien enthusiasts he had met years before had almost immediately pledged loyalty. Zim had found they were still easily pleased and followed orders with little to no question.

"What?" he asked.

"Sir, an incoming transmission from a fellow Irken," the woman said. Zim motioned for Gaz and she stood beside him. She ignored all the enthusiasts, in hopes they would leave her alone, but to no avail.

"Your highness, would you like me to carry anything?"

"No," Gaz said. She called for Gir and he ran to her side standing at attention.

"Yes, my liege?"

"Go check on my dad. If he's still pacing his room, just leave him alone again," she said. Gir nodded and ran down the hall screaming. "…He still has that habit."

"He carries out orders," Zim said, waving the woman off. "Come, you can meet more Irkens on the call."

"What is it about, do you know?"

"Prob'ly a progress report," Zim said.

'If only it was a progress report..' Gaz thought. She sat patiently in a chair, facing away from the screen as she played her Game Slave. The only thing she regretted about taking over Earth was the fact she'd lose any opportunity to play any more releases of her favorite game.

The Irkens had actually called to report resistance to the revolution on their own planet. It was expected, of course. But as the Irkens weren't invading anymore planets when the revolution took place, the rebels had horded as many machines and invader technology they could to create their own army and forces. They were calling to get orders from Zim on what to do.

To Gaz's slight surprise, Zim was actually good at military tactics when commanding forces, instead of trying to solitarily take over a planet. He was relaying alternative actions if something in the missions he had sent didn't go as planned and Gaz glanced at them in her Game Slave's screen. The plans were rolling slowly down the side and Gaz could easily read the Irken language; even backwards.

She noticed something wrong and ticked her antenna up, pausing her game. "..Something in the plan is not right…" Zim muttered. Gaz stood and walked up beside him.

"Let me see…" she said. Zim leaned away and watched as she looked over the plans. The Irkens on the screen watched her. 'Curious about my thinking ability?' Gaz thought acidly. If there was one thing an Irken, or anyone, shouldn't do, it was question Gaz's intelligence.

"Don't place this flank here. They can be easily overcome by the enemy numbers. You have them too far away from the main branch of forces for this kind of attack you're planning," Gaz said. Zim looked at the plans again and smirked.

"I did not know you were so well informed on military tactics," he commented as he made the changes. "These work much better."

"Good to know," Gaz said, turning again. "Don't question my intelligence again, Irkens."

Zim eyed the Irkens on the screen, enjoying their reactions. They thought any other species was below them because of their successful dominations of every civilization they've come across. He chuckled and politely ended the transmission.

"Would you like to reconsider my offer of Head Invader?" Zim asked. Gaz picked up her Game Slave and grabbed his hand as they walked to the hall.

"Now that I think about it, yes," she said. "But one condition."

"Yes?"

"You don't kill Dib when you catch him. He'll hate me til the day he dies, but I'd rather he be locked in the castle than dead on the battlefield," Gaz said, her pak taking her Game Slave for her.

"If he doesn't end up dying before we meet, I promise," Zim said. As they walked into the lobby, a small soldier Irken ran up to Zim. He quickly stood at attention.

"Sir! We've captured a rebel human in the armory! He seems to have been alone."

"How did he get past the security?" Gaz asked.

"He appears to have a small amount of familiarity to our technology!"

Gaz bowed her head and set her hand on her forehead, muttering, "God, he is stupid."

"Where is he?" Zim asked. The small Irken lead them to the cell in the dungeon where they were holding him and Gaz heard him long before they saw him.

"Let me out, alien-scum!"

Gaz growled and walked briskly up to the cell, where to Irken guards parted for her. "DIB, SHUT UP!"


	18. Caught Up

**Ch. 18: Caught Up**

"God! You are so annoying!" Gaz shouted.

Dib stared at Gaz, dumbfounded. Zim dismissed the guards and soldier Irken, waving them off. Gaz glared at Dib as he looked her up and down. Soon he let go of the bars and she could see the anger rising in his face.

"What the hell did you do to her?" he shouted. "Turn her back!"

"I don't want to be human anymore, I'd rather stay half Irken."

"What? He's brainwashed you! He-"

"Shut up before I plunge you into a nightmare realm and listen!" Dib shut his mouth and glared at Zim. Gaz reached through the bars and forcefully turned his head to face her.

"Dad is already here and safe. You've just been captured by an enemy you've fought most of your life to try and beat. Your sister, me, is now half Irken. Suck up what's happened and get over it."

Dib shoved Gaz's hand away. "It's not that simple! Just like you said now, I've been fighting with Zim for years! I knew he'd take over and now the world's finally listening to me!"

"And such a strong leader is now captured," Gaz spat sarcastically.

"How could you let him turn you into an Irken?"

"It was her idea," Zim said.

"Don't talk to me!"

"It was my idea, and it was my idea to sync our paks. If he dies, I die soon after," Gaz confessed. She let it sink in and continued. "I had the pak before he even invaded the school."

Dib just seemed to stare at her. "That's what was under your backpack the whole time? A Irken pak?"

"Yeah, that's what was under my pack the whole time. Take him to my father's room," Gaz shouted down the hall. The soldiers unlocked Dib's cell and waited for him to try and make a move.

"Don't," Zim said. "They're trained to shoot at the slightest hint of an attack brought on by prisoners."

Dib gave him a deathly glare, but quietly cooperated with the soldiers. Gaz walked beside him, signaling for Zim to let her go alone and the soldiers to be farther apart. Once they were a few more steps away Dib seemed to relax.

"When are they coming?" Gaz asked.

"Who?"

"Don't play dumb. When is your back up coming?" Gaz asked again. "You couldn't have been stupid enough to actually come alone."

When Dib was silent, Gaz chuckled and bowed her head. "Oh god, you were," she laughed.

Dib remembered each time she did that when they were kids and held back a smile at the memory. "Just like whenever I tried to get into his base. This base, if I'm correct. It's a lot different."

"Yeah. His art skills definitely weren't the best back then."

"How is dad?"

"He was in shock for a while, but I think he's over it now. I found that doll of him he made, the one we always thought was kinda creepy, and gave it to him. That seemed to calm him down enough. It's sort of his comfort blanket."

"I always wondered if he'd be able to handle it," Dib stated vaguely.

"Talk to him," Gaz said, opening the door herself. When Dib walked in their father was watching Gir jump off the walls, the doll sitting on a knee. Dib glanced at Gaz and shut her eyes and shook her head. "He's… dad."

"Dad?" Dib asked. Membrane looked over and stood up quickly.

"Son!" he shouted, rushing over and grabbing Dib in a hug. Gaz smirked.

"I'll let you two get caught up. Dad, do you want to come for dinner?" Gaz asked. Membrane set Dib down and held up the doll.

"No dear, there's science afoot! I'm going to have to work late tonight," he said. He turned away and started watching Gir again. "There's something wrong with this little bot, and I intend to find out what!"

"Uh…"

"We think it's another… coping technique. He still talks about work," Gaz stated. Small bits of anger in her voice. "He always did love his work."

"He even have a lab?"

"A basic one. Nothing too serious in there, we didn't want him hurting himself."

"Or me using anything to get away."

"Dib."

"I'm not going to dinner, either," Dib said. Gaz pursed her lips and nodded.

"Okay. We don't even use the dining hall," she said. Dib turned in time to see the door close behind her.

~(*)~

"How are you now that he's here?" Zim asked. Gaz laid down beside him in the bed. He had his arms wrapped around her and pulled her close.

"I don't know. It's… weird. After so long," she said.

"…Most of Earth is taken over. The Armada is coming soon. He thought it was his last resort," Zim stated.

"I know that."

"Then why do you know how you feel?" he asked. "Zim is still… uneducated on human emotions."

"I'll get over it," Gaz said. She smirked and turned her head to him with a smile. "Read a damn book."

Zim smirked and turned her over. "I much prefer learning from you."

Gaz had just started kissing him when a knock at the door sounded. She looked up in annoyance. "What?"

"My lieges, there's a problem. The new prisoner has escaped!"


	19. Taken

Short chapter, but I hope you like it nonetheless!

**Chapter 19: Taken**

"Already?" Gaz asked. She pushed herself off the bed and opened the door. The small Irken rushed in as Zim stood.

"Do you know where he is?" Zim asked.

"Yes! He's near the gates, we believe he's trying to escape to report valuable information to the rebels," the squeaky Irken replied.

"Head him off, try and capture him again. If it become plain he'll get away, stick him with a tracking device. And, escort Gaz to the safe house," Zim ordered. The Irken soldier nodded and left. Four Irken guards entered and Gaz sighed. She looked to Zim. "Safety."

"Unnecessary," Gaz whispered, smirking as they escorted her out and toward the safe-house vault. Gaz sighed and waved off two. They looked at her momentarily. "They'd go after Zim, not me, I'm still his sister."

They broke away and she was left with two in the rear. One hall from the safe-house vault's door, Gaz heard two thumps and then silence. The Irkens feet had quit hitting the floor. Gaz quickly turned. Two masked men stood over the unconscious Irkens, taking their weapons. One looked up, and Gaz turned away, beginning to sprint.

"That was her!" she heard him shout. Some shuffling and then she heard a split second of something hitting her pak and she was unconscious.

~(*)~

"Grab her, he wanted her back with us safely!"

The two left the Irkens, one sheathing the special tranquilizing gun Dib had made before the invasion had begun. Only one had been successfully made due to lack of the right lab materials.

One of the rebels hoisted Gaz over his shoulders. "What's he plan to do with her? Hold her in a cell?"

"I think I heard he wanted to try and make her human again when we met up with him."

"Ya know, we could've just left through the gate, but noooooo; he had to have his sister back," the rebel carrying Gaz whined. The two ran to a window, kicking it out and shooting a zip line to a neighboring building. "This is gonna be hard."

"Here," the other said, tying Gaz to the other. "She should stay."

The two zip lined down to the opposite roof top and ran toward their base.

~(*)~

Zim was sitting on his bed, his head throbbing. The Irken medic had told him he had suddenly fallen unconscious. His pak had been damaged through the sync with their queen's. Of course Zim had played it cool for the soldiers, ordering them to track the signal from Gaz's pak. Taken by rebels, they said.

DIB. The name resounded angrily through his mind. His hate for him resurfaced one hundred fold. Zim supposed he'd try and turn Gaz back into a human. But removing the pak would probably end up slowly killing her. Dib would listen to her, Zim was sure.

"Sir, we've tracked her pack," a soldier said, walking in.

"Where."

"The old building they call a... high school," she said. Zim smirked.

"Go get her. It's a base of theirs, I'm sure, so be ready for heavy fire," Zim ordered.

"Yes, sir," the Irken said, leaving.

Zim chuckled. Dib had set up base at the very spot the invasion had started. 'Quite poetic of him,' Zim thought.


	20. Surprise News

Figured I've been away long enough. So, I worked on this for hours until it was done! :D enjoy!

**Chapter 20: Surprise News**

Muffled voices caused Gaz's new antennae to twitch. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked at the ceiling above her. The lights were off, but she could see that it was a make-shift holding cell in one of the high-skool's classrooms. Gaz pushed herself up; brushing the dirt off her dress.

"DIB!" Gaz shouted angrily to the hall. The voices stopped and Dib looked into the room.

"You're awake!" he said happily. He shut the door behind him after waving the other person off. Gaz stood up and fought to regain her balance, grabbing a bar as she tried to effectively glare at him.

"Where am I? The skool? Why would you put base amp here?" Gaz asked. She noticed there were no windows. "Underground classroom?"

"Underground classroom," Dib answered. "I wanted the rebels base camp somewhere where they wouldn't forget why they were with me."

"Idiot."

"Ah, c'mon! Get it through your head! He's brain washed you!"

"No he hasn't!"

"Yes he has! And when I get that pak off you, you'll be back to normal, I'll be able to defeat Zim, and maybe even be named a hero!" Dib said proudly. "And Earth will finally be safe again!"

Dib saw the flash of fear flint across Gaz's face before she composed herself again. She grabbed both bars of the make-shift cell. They gave slightly and she stared at Dib. "You can't!"

"Yes I can! I've been working it over in my head and I think if I jus-"

"No, I mean you can't or I'll die!"

"…Wh… what? That's not funny!"

"It's not a joke! If you take it off, I'll die! It's synced with my body, it's keeping me alive now. If you take it away, it'd be like unplugging me in a coma."

"Why would you let him do that to you?"

"It was my idea, as I mentioned before. I knew the consequences, and I still asked him to make it for me. And listen, I don't want your whole base being attacked, so let me go now before he finds it."

"No! I've got you and dad here, where it's safe."

"Dad's here? Where is he? He didn't fight you when you kidnapped him?"

"No. He didn't want to stay there, where you kept him locked up the whole time because you didn't care."

"I did care! And I still do. I kept him there because I knew he'd've gotten himself killed. I just didn't want him to get hurt. He could've left anytime he wanted, or at least joined me for some "family quality time" like I always offered. Inviting you two to dinner wasn't just because I finally saw you were alive; I offered every night."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Nice to know you think of me as heartless," Gaz said, turning away. Her pak gave her to her Game Slave and Gaz turned it on.

"You bullied me my whole life, you weren't exactly the nicest sister in the world. And you still aren't going to be, no matter how hard you try."

"You're the one who was the city weirdo!" Gaz shouted. She tossed her game to the ground and turned sharply to Dib. "You thought you were the only one who was mocked by the skool kids? They didn't dare mock me directly, but whether or not they knew I could hear; I heard every name they called the family. I heard every comment they whispered to each other. I hated you because you were so weird and that affected me."

"So I'm into paranormal stuff, lots of people are," Dib defended. "All you ever did was play games and bully me. You almost killed a kid for a game and used mental warfare on the poor kid with freaking batteries! No wonder people think you're evil."

"At least anything else I'd do would get me somewhere in life. All you wanted to be was a paranormal investigator. What kind of job is that?"

"All you've accomplished is being a bitch! You never even liked anyone before, and suddenly you like Zim and now look around you!" Gaz inwardly groaned as Dib began to rant. She waited for him to stop, barely listening to him, until she began watching the clock; which surprisingly still worked. She watched as about ten minutes passed before she sighed and decided to end his babbling.

"Dib, we were getting married," Gaz stated. Dib didn't stop mid sentence, he instead stopped mid word at her statement. It took him several moments to regain the ability to speak.

"What?"

Suddenly alarms blared and rebels were running down the hall in a hurry. Gaz saw the outline of guns. "Intruders!" Dib shouted. He burst through the door, leaving Gaz and locking it behind him.

"Dib! Dib, get back here!" Gaz shouted. She rattled the bars and growled. They swayed easily, but didn't fall. The spider legs from her pak pushed against the bars, slowly tearing them from the floor. As they fell down, clattering loudly, Gaz stepped over them using the robotic legs.

They lowered her to the door. She waited until the last rebel seemed to run by and she opened the door to a dark hallway. Stairs were waiting to her left. Gaz pondered using them. Rebels would prob'ly be guarding them and she looked for another way. Windows were obviously out. She looked up and saw a vent. "Perfect."

She grabbed the bars to the vent cover as she was lifted up. They pushed her into the vent and moved expertly upward and forward until she saw daylight from a window penetrating one of the vents and heard the fighting. Gaz moved to an empty hallway and dropped from the vents. She used the legs to quickly run from one end to another. The sounds of footsteps resounded through the hall. Gaz moved the legs to hold her to the ceiling.

"The tracker says she's this way!" an Irken stated. Gaz dropped from the ceiling and rounded the corner as two Irken soldiers ran up to her. "My Talle- my Queen, we're here to take you back to Tallest Zim."

"Good."

~(*)~

Dib kicked at the cell bars. The attacking robots had just abruptly left after only a few minutes of fighting and now he knew why. They had gotten what they came for.

"Well, one assumption of yours was right again," his right hand stated, clapping a leather bound notebook shut. "They rely heavily on their leaders. You've been studying him for years, haven't you?"

"Yes."

"Well, you're obviously very smart considering most of your guesses on how an Irken thinks have been right. One more off the list as true."

"Thanks," Dib said, looking over the bars again.


	21. Second Attack

**WOW. DO I FEEL BAD. I feel really, really, bad for not putting this up earlier. I am again, so sorry. I don't know the actual length of this, it's just about four pages on Word, but I have to double space this according to this site. So hopefully it's not THAT short xD**

**Chapter 21: Second Attack**

After Gaz was dropped off at their room, Zim immediately gave her a hug. He refused to release her for what seemed like hours to her. Gaz have him a grateful smile. She looked up at him. "Did they panic when you suddenly blacked out?"

"As expected," Zim said. He pulled Gaz over to the bed, setting a clawed hand on her stomach. Gaz held it there.

"How do you know?"

"The medic informed Zim of it when they were monitoring your pak as we tracked you. Zim acted as if he knew, of course," Zim said. Gaz gave a short chuckle. She looked at her stomach, rubbing the back of the Zim's hand and bit her bottom lip.

"Is it..."

"It is fine," Zim said with a note of relief. Gaz let out a loud sigh of her own relief and laid back on the bed. "And growing quite well."

"Do they know what it looks like?" Gaz asked. Zim shook his head.

"Still underdeveloped. We are trying to figure out if it will resemble Irkens or humans more. Therefore they are trying to figure out how dominate Irken DNA is to a humans. Your appearance and physical differences are part of the research, of course. As is the fact you're apparently carrying an Irken baby. At this rate, you may turn completely Irken," Zim explained, lying down next to her.

"...You know, I don't think I'd mind. I never fit in here, and I'm not denying the bully I was, and frankly still am, wasn't a part of that fact. But to be honest, being Irken may be best. At least then I'd fit in, yes?"

"You are being accepted quite well, as it is. In fact, some Irken ships have announced their celebrating the pregnancy. But they are not used to this sort of celebration, so I find it understandable that they don't know how to properly react."

"So what did you tell them?"

"I told them to bring or send a gift. As I assumed was customary on this planet."

"Good assumption. It is. Don't know what they'll get me, though," Gaz said, standing up. "What did you do after you knew I was safe?"

"The bots retreated. They were only there to get you. Once that objective had been acheived, they were recalled back," Zim said, sitting up and watching Gaz pace the room.

"What are you going to do now that you know where the rebel base is?" Gaz asked. Zim intertwined his fingers and sighed.

"Attack, obviously."

"..."

"If he does not come willingly, they will kill him," Zim confirmed. Gaz looked down. She set her hands on her stomach again.

"I know."

~(*)~

"Sir! We have enemy robots moving in from the North!"

Dib looked back at the monitors. "I didn't expect him to wait that long. But I wish we had more repairs done. Finish loading the vans and get everyone out!"

As the order was placed through and the remaining rebels left the monitor room Dib held one back. "Yes, sir?"

"Arm the bomb fence. It'll hold them off for a while."

"But not all of them are armed."

"I know, but enough are. Tell the drivers to tie the equipment down, they're going to be in range of the aftershocks when they go off," Dib ordered. The boy nodded, sitting back down. Dib left quickly, leaving the door open.

~(*)~

Gaz sat with her Game Slave in her hands, but her fingers were still even though the screen had 'Game Over' flashing on it. Her eyes were on the large monitor in front of her; watching the school being blown up by their own mines that also took out the invading robots. The vehicles in the back of the screen were rushing down the road.

The familiar scythe-like hair jumped into the passenger seat of the last jeep as another rebel climbed in the back before they started off on the jerky path. Gaz stood up and left the room abruptly. She felt sick, she couldn't see if her brother was accidently blown up or not.

Gaz started to take deep breaths and sat in the hall, finally turning her game off and putting it in her pack; exchanging it for her ipod instead. Zim had made her a better version, and everything had been written in Irken so that she'd always have something to practice reading it with.

"Calm down, don't get sick, just calm down…" Gaz mumbled to herself. A soldier stopped before her and saluted.

"Is there anything you need, my Queen?" he asked. Gaz shook her head and waved him off.

"No, I'm fine."

The soldier saluted and regained his rounds. Gaz leaned down in the seat, setting the ipod on her stomach as she waited for Zim to exit the room. She was dozing when something in her PAK changed. Gaz sifted through it for what felt like a long time before she realized. It was a very small, second heart beat.


	22. Burn

**Apparently sleep deprivation is a major inspiration booster time for me. I'm not gonna say no one saw this coming, I'm sure someone did xD I also have a message at the bottom of this chapter**

**Chapter 22: Burn**

Gaz waited patiently on the balcony leading to her room. Zim had been stuck in the main War room for several days now. Although he'd much rather be working in his labs like usual, his troops needed him; so he'd opted to wait until such a time he could leisurely work on his own again. The only thing he'd managed to get done that didn't have to do with an invasion was teaching Gaz more Irken; which he eventually had handed down to a professional teacher. Not many Irkens were able to speak English as… well as Zim could. Gaz sighed rather heavily, shutting her Game Slave off and handing it to a short Irken to plug in to charge.

The rhythmic beat of the baby's heart lulled her temper. It had become so regular now, she hardly noticed it anymore during the day. But at night, she used it and Zim's even breathing to fall to sleep. "Don't see why the idiot doesn't just go into 'sleep mode' for me…" Gaz grumbled. "They can survive one night without getting him.."

"Your highness it's time for lunch, would you like to join the generals in the dining hall?" the small Irken asked. Gaz considered the benefits of doing the action more often than she did. It would be a good chance to practice her Irken, which had improved greatly since she received her pak.

"Yes, I suppose I will," Gaz stated, standing up from the chair. She gave the crumbling city one last look before walking back inside the palace. When they had finally reached the dinner hall, Gaz sat at the front table, the food being set out before her.

"Would you like anything specific to drink, your Highness?"

"No, water is fine, thank you," Gaz responded. She kept herself from looking about the room too often; feigning that she wasn't as stressed as she felt. The argument she had Dib had not been what she wanted the last thing she said to him to be. 'He has some damn good points about me, though,' she thought.

"Are you alright, My Queen?"

Gaz turned to see one of the army's doctors standing behind her. "..I… wish to see my husband," Gaz said. She realized Irkens had no words for spouses and corrected herself at his confused expression. "Zim. I want to see Tallest Zim."

"Oh! Yes, of course," the medic replied, flustered. "But.."

Gaz turned fully in her seat. "He can't see me," she finished.

"N-no. He cannot, I am afraid."

"Why?" Gaz questioned, trying to keep herself calm.

"He is-"

"My Tallest, he is busy working to finish the invasion of this stubborn planet as quickly as he possibly can," the Irken general to her right explained in place of the nervous medic. Gaz sensed his own nerves and considered the whole truth of what he stated. After studying him, she knew he wasn't saying everything.

"What's he planning?" she asked calmly. The medic briskly walked away, leaving the general alone to answer.

"I am… not permitted to speak of it," he said. Gaz glared at him and turned back to her meal.

"So be it."

Hours later, as the soldiers emptied the dining hall, Gaz waited with the remaining generals at the head table. One answered a call and then walked up to her. "My Tallest, may I ask for you to accompany me?"

"I see no reason why not," Gaz answered. The general extended his elbow, lifting himself with the spider-like appendages.

"I understand this was a custom of courtesy here," he stated. Gaz managed a smirk.

"It was," she agreed, taking his elbow. "But, it was mostly used during special occasions. Did you know that?"

"Yes, my Tallest, I did indeed."

"Then why extend your arm for me? I assume you're just escorting me to my room."

"On the contrary. Tallest Zim requested you."

Gaz nearly stopped in the hall, almost missing a step but regaining her stride firmly. "Is that so? Well, where is he?"

"The roof."

Gaz halted in the hall as they neared the stairs. "The roof?" The general looked at her in confusion. Gaz corrected herself again. "Why is he on the roof?"

"My understanding is that he wishes to show you something," the general answered. Gaz paused and then continued forward for the stairs, butterflies forming in her stomach. Zim hadn't done anything remotely romantic for her since the night their soon-to-be child was conceived due to his work. As the general led her up the last flight of stairs, he took his arm back, bowed, and made his way back down.

Gaz waited until she could no longer hear the clicking of the metal limbs to run up the stairs and shove open the door to the palace's rooftop. At first glance, it was completely vacant. She made her way around the door's small out cropping from the flat surface of the roof top and found that side was also empty. "Above."

"Ah! Zim!" Gaz looked up to see him sitting on the roof door's top, a bottle of she assumed was wine next to him. "Don't do that."

"Zim couldn't have said anything else and gotten any other response," he retorted as Gaz climbed up to join him.

"Why did you ask me to come up here?"

"It is nice weather."

"Cut the crap," Gaz said, a playful tone in her voice. Zim smirked and held up the bottle, pouring two glasses. "You know I'm still technically under-aged."

"You had no problems with conceive-" Gaz slapped her hand over his mouth, her face turning red.

"Getting drunk and THAT are two different things.. and actions," she stated, taking the glass anyway. "I'm not drinking much of it."

"Zim only asks if you've had any at all before, he is unfamiliar with it."

Gaz spit out her drink, or what little she had sipped, and stared at him. "Then why the hell are you going to drink it?!"

"If Zim's memory is correct, and it is, then he remembers hearing from the teachers and students that it as a high-class drink that was very good."

"For most people, some don't have the taste," Gaz said, sipping more. "And besides, I'm not sure your biological make-up can handle it."

"My PAK will expel any toxins," Zim said reassuringly, taking a sip of his own. "Zim also wanted to show you the final attack upon this city, and subsequently the planet."

"Really?" Gaz asked, amused. "How are you going to destroy the city, when we're still here?"

Instead of answering, Zim shifted his free arm, pressing a button and waiting. Gaz gave him an inquisitive look, but he merely motioned to the city. She soon got her answer. Dozens of Voot-runners appeared from below them, exiting chambers in the palace from below them and flying over the city. They aimed and shot at multiple buildings, causing explosions and therefore fires. Gaz noticed that the fire was plasma in density, sticking to anything it fell on and growing quickly.

"There is a special material surrounding the castle grounds that stops the fire from reaching the building," Zim explained, distinguishing any worries of that scenario for Gaz. She sat up straighter, watching as the city literally burned around her.

"It's…. oddly beautiful to watch it move."

"It's the first step of the final wave, and experimental test of the plasma fire."

"You're going to use it all over the planet?" Gaz asked.

"We leave unpopulated areas untouched, but guarded."

"So no one can escape into the safe zones," Gaz concluded. Zim nodded.

"Zim hopes this is not having the opposite effect upon you. I am aware this is your birthplace, and therefore you much have an emotional attachment to it-"

"Stop rambling. I hated this city," Gaz corrected. "This is a beautiful sight to me."

Zim tinged his glass to hers, "Then, by all means, enjoy it, my Queen."

Gaz shifted herself, laying her head on Zim's lap.

**OKAY. SO. This was supposed to be the ending scene for the fic. But it's gone on so long, I might continue it. If any of you have a suggestion, give it to me in a review and I'll consider it. I'll also credit you for the suggestion if I use it :3 WELL, I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did!**


	23. ZAGR: His Thoughts

**You get two updates for this fic in one day! :D Lucky you~ Anyway, I was very pleased with the amount of reviews for suggestions of more chapters! I'll make some of those suggestions into Aftermath chapters :3 Thank you so much for the support, I love you guys :D 3**

**Anywho. This is in the perspective of Zim regarding his feelings for Gaz from the start of the first detention to the end of chapter 3: ENJOY~**

She sat beside me, her idiot brother glaring at me, as if daring me to make a move to harm her. It was an insult he would think that, but I understood since I was his enemy. But that was just it, I was HIS enemy. His sister was something to be admired by me, not destroyed. The feelings I've been having for her have been... insanity inducing to say the least. Each day, I see her in the halls, in the lunch room, in the one class we managed her have together, and on the school's grounds. I am blessed by the Tallest with the occasional appearance of her when I attack their home, being sure to be careful and not strike her room for two reasons: I wish to keep her safe from my weapons, and she would surely kill me if I harmed anything she owned.

Although, thinking on it; Zim did not mind the prospect of witnessing the darkness surrounding her; even if it was directed toward myself. Few of the pig-monkeys even knew of the evil that lied behind the beautiful dark eyes, the darkness she could wreak on all that dared to oppose her. Zim knew firsthand the kind of destruction she was capable of, and with so little effort.

Zim often felt as if she were mocking him. Her amber eyes were a color Zim had never even seen before; and therefore were the most beautiful color he had ever seen. Before, I had tried to find the color on the inventions these beasts called the 'Internet'; but to avail. Only her eyes held the color that had Zim himself wished to star at for hours on end. But never had anyone, to my knowledge, held her attention for very long. I often wonder, what would happen to me if I were able to grasp her attention for more than a glance? To grasp the full look of those eyes? Would the darkness she is able to control consume me entirely, or would I be lost in a visionary bliss? The prospect of it all did not scare me, it excited me, as it were.

The Dib-stink finally put on his head phones and Gaz turned to me. "Why DON'T you eat anything?" she asked me. I turned to her, trying to hide the shock she spoke to me.

"Hm?" I asked, without anything else coming to mind. I mentally kicked myself for the stupidity that I had

let through my mouth.

"I've NEVER seen you eat anything. Not a thing. What? Irkens don't eat or something?" Gaz asked, turning her game off. My heart started to race. I had in fact gained her attention. It was exhilarating.

"I eat in the morning, and then when I return home. I'm am simply not hungry during the school hours," I answered, forcing my voice to stay level, all the while, my heart raced. She raised an eyebrow, a sign of curiosity or confusion. She stated something about it being "handy". I assumed this meant convenient. When I did not speak anymore, my mouth seeming forzenw ith the rest of my body, she squirmed in her seat. I fought to not look at her, wanting nothing more than gaze at her.

"Why do you always wear the pak?"

"It's useful. All Irkens wear them, all the time."

"That's dumb."

"They hold a lot of important information!"

"So? They're so small."

"Size doesn't matter when it comes to the pak. It's very complicated technology."

"Like your base? It looked complicated, but I bet I could figure it out," Gaz stated. I glared at her for the insult to my race's superior technology. She couldn't even read Irken, so there was little chance she'd be able to operate any of my equipment. I smirked.

"Doubtful," I replied. Gaz shot me a beautiful glare, and put in her ear buds drowning herself in her music. I spent the rest of detention simply thinking about her, and the short conversation we had held. How her lips moved, how beautiful she was, how radiant her eyes shined- I heard Dib-stink moving, and he glared at me as he passed, Gaz shortly after him followed. I stood after they had left, and looked back at the seat she sat at. Her iPod sat on the desk. The prospect of taking it was a horrible thought to occur to me, for it would surely have resulted in my death; but my body found my PAK's reasoning and grabbed the iPod.

I worked on it for many hours. Adding in a small laser, and a flashlight, and tracker. I am not sure what prompted me to, it was at first just an excuse to have to her come to my on her own when she realized it was missing. "She is at the door," the computer droned. I dropped my latest invention and took the elevator up. I was in the kitchen when the doorbell rang. I didn't get further. I was frozen, I was intimidated for once in my long life. I stood in the kitchen, hearing her feet tap on the concrete porch with my antennae. I am not sure how many minutes passed before I had worked up the courage to go to the door, and subconsciously checked that my disguise was on.

When I opened the door, she just looked at me. I saw a slight hint of red being fought down. I tried my best to keep my face straight and un-flushed. I was appealing to her. She quickly glared at Gir as he started to get loud. The silence grew, but was short. The first then she said to me was: "That uniform you wear is kinda stupid."

"Says the grumpy goth," I retort, upon instinct! I kick myself mentally for the remark, and then realized I had let some happiness out for the quip. She noticed as well.

"Whatever," she said, pushing past me and inside. My heart raced for an instant at the contact and I shut the door behind me, leaning against it. I couldn't look her in the eyes, my face flushed. Once I had gotten the embarrassing emotions under control, and my head back in order, I looked up just enough to see her. She mentioned something along the lines of fighting her way out and the iPod. I assured her that I wasn't planning on capturing her. As I passed her, I quickly decided to not let my weakness show and added "not anymore" to give her a sense I had been planning to already.

I walked into the kitchen, only gone for a moment, since the iPod was in my PAK already and then returned to see she was closer to the door. I was able to see her fully now, her natural beauty obscured by her make-up. It was radiant. My eyes fell to her lips next. They were full, and coated lightly with the cosmetic they called "lipstick". It was dark, much too dark. But it was beautiful on contrast to such pale skin. It made it stand out, and therefore grab your attention. I believe I finally understood why some of the students called her "vampire" some days. Her skin was uncharacteristically pale compared to other humans, but that only appealed to me more.

To not cause her anymore stress of untrust, I tossed it to her. She noticed the insignia on the back and questioned me. I left out the tracking device, and smirked at the disappointment about the low caliber of the laser. A large silence grew, and my chest tightened. So many different ways I could hold her at this moment, but I refrained, I had to keep strong and not jeopardize the meager relationship she had started in the detention room. Then I heard it. It was faint, but my Irken ears caught it: "Thank you."

I couldn't stop my legs, I was standing in front of her, very close to her. I could feel the heat of her breath. She looked up at me, and questioned me again, no doubt because of my content expression. My mouth also moved on it's own, since a large part of my brain was un-responsive.

"Your eyes."

"What about them?" Gaz asked, making a move to put some distance between them. I lightly grabbed her wrist.

"They're... nice," I said, unable to find the proper words. She blushed, and looked down so I wouldn't see. It took a moment for her to look up again.

"They're only amber. Basically just a really light brown," she said, still a little flustered.

"You're blushing," I said. Gaz glared at me, but I only saw my favorite color; none of the hate. "You're too pale to hide it."

"Shut up," she said. I chuckled at her embarrassment, finding it ... "cute". And took a step toward her, leaving only enough distance to let a very small magazine rest between us. Gaz stood frozen. She was having trouble breathing. I needed to calm her down.

"You know... we aren't so different. Aside from the difference in species, anyway," I whispered, trying for the first time in my existence to be soft. It was surprsingly easy to do so for her. Gaz grumbled in response, and I continued. "Have you ever thought of... doing more than just beating up other humans?"

"O-of course. They're all stupid. Hell with 'em," Gaz said, whispering the final sentence with a hint of spite. My smile grew, but she couldn't see.

"Think you can really use Irk tech?" I asked, fighting off my own nerves by closing my eyes. Gaz's head shot up and her lips touched mine.

I was about to pull away, knowing she would likely destroy me if I did not. But soon, I felt her return the kiss. The amount of feelings attacking me were overwhelming. the only action I could get myself to do was lightly wrap my arms around her petite waist. In return she gently set the tips of her fingers on my chest.

I am not entirely sure how long we stayed like that, but when she did leave, I was stuck standing in my base in bliss; unwilling to move from that spot.


	24. Aftermath Ch 1

**I AM JUST ABUSING MY OTHER FICS RIGHT NOW. OMG. I AM SO SORRY xD ANYWAY. Yeah… This… gives away a lot. I'm not sure what the reaction to this will be. But I will spoil this to help soften any blows: The babies are in chapter 2. Which I am currently hand-writing.**

**Also thank you RavenFollower13 and everyone else who sent in requests and suggestions! 3**

**Okayenjoyall :3**

ZAGR: Aftermath ch. 1

Gaz looked at herself in the mirror again. The towel was wrapped tightly around her form, now almost fully Irken if it weren't for the modifications Zim had previously induced; allowing her to keep her hair and ability to eat human foods.

"Not sure how much use that'll be now," she mumbled to herself. Her skin had finally turned a very pale green, she assumed because she was so pale before. Her fingers had at some point turned into only three digits, not that it affected her gaming since her thumbs were her main use anyway. She had lost her nose as well, adopting the Irkens use of breathing instead. The only other visible human trait other than her hair that was left was her own height.

The PAK reminded her of the time and Gaz dressed in the wedding gown Zim had attained for her, which was also of his design as her previous dress was. The sleeves were only two inches thick, leaving nearly no sleeve at all. Just below her chest a carnation held a long ribbon that tied in the back, where the fabric was cut low enough to accommodate her PAK. Stripes wrapped around the entire skirt of the dress, covering only her stomach and front half of her chest, leaving the sides and back a nice, clear white. The low v-neck had extra, frilled fabric filling the bottom. More layers of frill filled three large, high cuts in the skirt of the gown, all white. Her veil was framed with flowers, and reached down to her elbows in the back, with the cover for her face only reaching to her collarbone.

To her, it was beautiful, and fit perfectly. She hadn't quite started to show as of yet, and Zim as smart to have the wedding before she started to reveal a bump.

"PAKs remove toxins…" Gaz mumbles to herself. "I can never get drunk. I can drink while pregnant."

"What, my Tallest?"

Gaz turned toward the assistant, who had opened shower room's door. "Oh, nothing. Just trying to distract myself with random thoughts."

"Are you under stress, my Tallest?" she asked. "I can fetch your father."

Gaz smirked at the garbled term of father they had substituted. "That would be very nice, yes."

The small Irken left to inform one of the guards and quickly returned. Gaz sat down at the chair, allowing the little Irken to apply her make-up. Another started on her hair, curling it. "You're hair is so lovely, my Tallest. Do all humans have it?"

"Majority."

An hour later, Gaz was slipping into her shoes as the door opened.

"Gaz?" she heard her father say. Gaz ran behind the rack of different veils and alternate gowns, hiding her face.

"Dad… how are you?"

"…Accepting what's happening," he said, letting the door shut behind him. Gaz frowned at the tone. She didn't feel the best about how he had been feeling, but he was never there for her, so she shouldn't care. She pressed her lips together.

"I'm sorry…"

"For?"

Without hesitation, Gaz answered automatically as if she had been rehearsing it. "All of this."

"…For me, you are. Not for the city, or the planet-"

"I said I was sorry!" Gaz shouted, startling the assistants, her teeth bared. Membrane paused.

"..May I see you in your wedding dress?" he asked finally. Gaz bit her lip, and moved closer to the edge of the barrier between them.

"I don't… look…"

"I know."

"What are they saying?"" one of the Irkens asked. The other merely shrugged their shoulders.

"I concluded that the alien DNA was prob'ly dominant and would alter your appearance, since it hasn't killed you. I've prepared myself."

Gaz took a deep breath, annoyed at his persistence but understanding at least to the want of seeing his only daughter in a wedding dress, and forced herself out into the open. Her father didn't make any move. Gaz motioned for the assistants to leave. After they had, Membrane stepped closer. "You look as lovely as your mother did."

Gaz gave a small laugh despite herself. "I'm sorry you can't see the wedding in person. It's a human wedding, since Irkens don't have a ceremony of their own anymore…" Gaz stated, with genuine guilt.

"It would be… a risk.. for me," Membrane announced. "I'll be watching from my room."

"I don't know if it'll make up for anything, but… pretty soon you'll finally see space for yourself," Gaz stated.  
Before Membrane could respond a knock came at the door. "My Tallest, it is time."

"I'll see you on the ship," Gaz stated as she started to leave.

"Where is Dib? Do you know?" Membrane asked quickly. Gaz paused at the door.

"…He's… not… he died. Fighting against an onslaught of Burn ships," Gaz said. She quickly spun around afterward, quickly explaining. "He had his face covered, they didn't know it was him until after the raid. Zim and I gave specific instructions to NOT kill him."

Membrane remained silent, seeing the crocodile tears well up in Gaz's eyes. If she had ever felt remorse for something, this was the only time he'd have gotten the chance to see it. He sat down. "Sometimes… I wish this were still a dream to me."

"…I'm-"

"Don't apologize, dear, I know it was not your fault," Membrane said, forcing it out.

Gaz hesitated, and then walked up to him, kissing his head before turning to leave again. "I miss him," she added, meaning to make him feel better at least. Membrane nodded in agreement as Gaz left; but the empty feeling in his heart forced him to know that he could've forgive her. Not for this, at least.


	25. Aftermath ch 2

ZAGR: Aftermath ch. 2  
"What does this do, per say?"

"Keeps the machines cooled."

A translator strapped to the Irken's pak translated the answer. "Ah, I see," Membrane said. "I notice the cooling fans are working at a moderate rate, that's good."

"My Tallest, why is he here?"

"Your queen requested we cheer him up, for whatever reason, and he enjoys labs most," Zim explained. Zim logged out from the computer and stood. "Speaking of her, I'm leaving. Make sure he doesn't destroy anything accidently. She may not have the best relationship with him, but I doubt she'd be very pleased if he died on any Irken watch."

The intercom on the computer's large keyboard buzzed and Gaz's voice chimed through. "Zim, they're acting up again."

"I'll be right there," he said, heading for the elevator.

"How is he?"

Zim stopped, returning to the keyboard's intercom. "Good. He's enjoying the lab tours, and he seems to have grasped the space travel finally."

"Will he be any trouble by the time we're at Irk?"

"Oh, is that your true intention? To just be sure he's mentally stable by the time we're there so he doesn't embarrass you?"

"Shut up, there are more reasons than that!"

"I'll be up in a moment."

"Zi-" Zim shut the intercom off and headed for the elevator again.

"Make sure that he doesn't leave your sight," he orders as the elevator rises and carries him up. When he steps out onto the upper decks, every Irken in the hallway stops and either salutes or bows. Zim doesn't hide the smirk as he leaves for where he knew Gaz would be: the large recreation room that had been added for when their children were born. Now that they were walking, they were harder to keep track of, forcing them to enlist what Gaz called a "nanny".

"There you are! They keep waving their antennae around, and I can't figure out what they're saying," Gaz stated, pulling Zim into the room. Zig and Gim were sitting on top of a large shelf, well out of the reach of the nanny as she stood on the floor, staring at them sternly. Both had light green skin, almost the same as Gaz's hue. Gim's eyes were ruby, like Zim's, while Zig's were amber like Gaz's. They were the size of average smeets, but had five fingers instead of three. The doctor's predicted the Irken DNA would take over as it had to Gaz, and they would end up with three fingers soon and two toes instead of the human number of five. They lacked hair as well. Zim noticed their antennae were indeed moving very rapidly as they seemed to stare each other down.

"A common way for smeets to communicate before the ability to speak develops," Zim explained. He set his arm around Gaz's shoulders as the nanny used her extra mechanical limbs to quickly reach up and grab the two.

"Damn, doctor…"

"Hm?"

"I wasn't that conscious due to the pain killers he gave me, actually thought the names were cute when I gave them."

"They aren't to you?"

"They're my children's names, of course I like them. But I had others in mind, is all."

"Ah.. what were they?"

The nanny saw Zim and bowed quickly, taking Zig and Gim over to the plastic house for a safer area of play. Gaz inwardly sighed, never opening her mouth, and slumped against Zim. "My mother's name for Gim… I would've let you name Zig if you had been there."

"I apologize again for not being able," Zim said, pulling Gaz closer. She formed a small pout.

"At least you were there after and held them."

"They're going to be very troublesome when they're older."

"What do you mean?"

"Most Irkens are born with an instinctive and deep loyalty to the Tallest, as they still are. But since our children were born naturally, I doubt they have it… as strongly, anyway."

"They'll obey us."

"I have no fear of that. I am the new Tallest, and you are the Queen. And you have a dark aura about you that demands authority and respect."

"You're making me blush," Gaz teased, bumping her hip against Zim's. He smirked again. "Which will take thrown?"

"They're share it most likely. Just as there is always a pair of Tallest, they will rule together."

"And their kids?"

Zim chuckled. "I suppose they can fight it out amongst themselves!"

"What little faith you have," Gaz taunted. Zim moved over to one of the tables, sitting and pulling Gaz into his lap. "Not appropriate in front of the babies."

"They won't remember."

"Nanny will."

"And?" Zim asked, giving Gaz's neck a peck. She smirked herself and wrapped her arm around his neck. "Do I seem to care? No."

"No," she agreed, softly kissing his skull. His antennae twitched. He looked up at her. Her body had morphed to a more Irken form, mimicking the thin frames of the previous Tallest after she had birthed Gim and Zig. The doctors theorized if she were get pregnant again, her body may shift back to a more human frame during the time, and then shift again to the Irken state afterwards.

Zim found her attractive as a human, but as an Irken, she was more stunning. She belonged, in his mind. "What?" she asked, catching his stare.

"Hmm… nothing," Zim said, leaning back. He reached up and ran his hand through her purple hair.

She smiled, picking Gim up as she wobbled over, still learning to walk. Zim couldn't help but observe that she may not have been a good human, but a reasonable mother she will be. As their Queen and mother, she'd in the least be as loving as any human mother would be to their own kin.

…Kids. Family. Words Irkens do not use, if they even exist even more in their own language. Zim understood the meaning, though, after research. He had never, once, imagined having one of his own. They were not something Irkens thought of, or even knew the concept of, much less yearned for. Zim noticed, as he told the Irkens aboard the ship, that Gaz was pregnant they merely nodded in understanding of the situation. Knowing vaguely what it meant, but not understanding what it meant to their leader. Zim thought that was a sad thing.

Being on Earth, with so many humans and so many human concepts had changed his way of thinking. Usually an Irken met with the kind of free will those they planned on conquering would be unaffected by it, and continue with their mission with no problems concerning it. But humans had possessed a much more unique view of freedom than Zim hadn't thought of. Free will. And that meant free thinking and understanding of difference and uniqueness, a new way of thinking he hadn't been so exposed to before, what with his previous life's thoughts being filled with conquer, invasion, and death. Not very often had he seen so many of the same species locked in a building at the same time, allowing influences to set in easily. Perhaps the distance from the Control Brains had allowed those influences to seep into his pak, he would prob'ly never be certain. But he did know one thing: he liked the way of thinking humans had. It was interesting, and he was able to see it every day in Gaz, his Queen. He knew, then, that he would see it in their children as well.

**Well! I hope you all liked it! Sorry it took SO LONG to get this to you. I had MONDO trouble thinking of how to put it, and the last two paragraphs, to be honest, just got dumped at the last minute because as I was finishing it, I realized: Zim view on families. What would it be like since Irkens don't have families? Especially soldiers? That progressed into how he thought of human thinking… somehow xD Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the second aftermath chapter! Uncertain if I'll do a third, but we'll see! **

SO. To clear up any confusion for the next chapter, Dib did indeed die no question there on my part, but it was an epic death-WAIT THAT COULD BE THE THIRD CHAPTER.

Also, to clear up any OTHER confusion, if anyone is wondering what was accomplished in this story (if ya care about that sorta thing xD), the only thing I as the author can see as legit accomplished is that Zim finally gained control of Earth xD

Also, sorry to all, but humanity is doomed :l Well, they're dead actually, save Membrane and the few humans working as servants on the ships.

ALSO, no. Membrane did not forgive Gaz and Gaz was not sincere in her apology, she's just a really good actress, I'll edit that to make that clear xD I re-read it and realized I didn't get that across, haha xD

And I forgot to mention: the names of the babies were thought up by my sister and friend :

Also, Illead, yes, they are seniors in high school. She is 18, so she was legal, technically. :

**I'll also TRY and gain some inspiration on the other fictions :3 Thanks again!**


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